


Picking Up The Pieces

by completemindfvck



Series: Fixing Hearts [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Betrayal, Break Up, Breaking Up & Making Up, Child Abuse, Disturbing Themes, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Feels, Forgiveness, Heartbreaking, Implied Mpreg, Implied Relationships, Jealousy, Kidnapping, M/M, Making Up, Near Death Experiences, Out of Character, Past Relationship(s), Psychological Torture, Second Chances, Trust Issues, read with caution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-03-04 02:25:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 126,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2905790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/completemindfvck/pseuds/completemindfvck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Makoto... is she my daughter?" Sousuke asked calmly as he looked from Makoto to the child in question.</p><p>Five years ago, Sousuke left Makoto heartbroken after their first time. Makoto found out he was pregnant but didn't tell the baby's father. Five years later, while walking in the park, Sousuke comes back after meeting their daughter and wants to be in her life, as well as wanting to come back into Makoto's heart. How can Makoto trust him again when Sousuke shattered his heart in pieces once already? Can Makoto give him a second chance?</p><p>MAKE SURE TO READ THE BEGINNING NOTE I MADE IN CHAPTER 1, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Five Years Ago

**Author's Note:**

> I'm only going to say this once.  
> I added the Out of Character tag for a reason because as this story goes along, everyone is going to get a little OOC and some will hurt each other at one point or another. If you love any of the characters in this story, try not to get too attached to them because they'll do something you never would imagine them doing. When this happens in the future of this story where you feel like I took a knife and stabbed you in the feels, please don't cuss me out in the comments because I did give you a fair warning that something like that was going to happen. With that in mind, please enjoy the story! Sorry if it sucks!
> 
> EDIT: Ok, I just uploaded chapter seventeen and it get really disturbing so if you get to the last chapter, please read with caution. Also, there are a lot of inaccuracies so keep in mind that I'm 16 (if you have a problem with my age, click the back button, I really don't wanna deal with a comment that I'm too young to be writing this) so not everything is gonna be completely accurate. With that in mind, please enjoy the story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prologue to the main story

"Sousuke... I'm ready."

The words came from Makoto's lips said in a pleasurable moan the moment Sousuke broke their kiss. The slightly taller teen looked at him and smirked. For three weeks now, Sousuke said he thought their relationship was at the point where they were ready for sex. Sousuke was sure as hell ready but Makoto was very skeptical about it and wanted to wait until he was ready but with the way his boyfriend kept teasing him, it was getting harder and harder until he just couldn't take it anymore. Makoto was a virgin so having sex with Sousuke for the first time was going to be quite the experience. The Samezuka student smirked as he placed a passionate kiss to his boyfriend's lips. Makoto wasted no time in kissing back as he wrapped his arms around his neck.

Sousuke lightly pushed Makoto down to the bed as their lips were still connected. Makoto blushed deeply with a moan as he began to get turned on by just Sousuke's lips. The brunette chuckled and broke the kiss as he began to kiss his boyfriend's neck and palm his erection. Makoto moaned as he bucked his hips in response to Sousuke's touch. It felt so good. He didn't want Sousuke to stop pleasuring him like this. He couldn't wait until Sousuke was deep inside of him. Suddenly, Sousuke put one of his hands up Makoto's shirt and pinched one of his nipples. Makoto gasped and arched his body into his touch as he began to take his shirt off. Sousuke got the message and took Makoto's shirt off and then his own. Makoto bit his lip as he gawked at Sousuke's muscles and hard-on. Sousuke smirked when he caught Makoto staring at him.

"Like what you see?" Makoto nodded as he brought Sousuke down by his neck and kissed him passionately. Sousuke moaned and undid Makoto's pants. Makoto blushed deeply when he realized he was fully naked in front of Sousuke. He chuckled and kissed Makoto's cheek.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, you look beautiful." Makoto smiled and began to touch himself. Sousuke saw what Makoto was doing and got off the bed to fetch a bottle of lube from his table. Makoto looked at the bottle with a questioning face. Sousuke caught the look as he opened the bottle and began to undo his pants.

"It's lube. It's going to help by fingers and cock get inside of you with little to no problem~" Makoto blushed at Sousuke's choice of words and widened his eyes when he saw how big Sousuke was.

"Is-ah!-all that going to fit inside of me?"

"I'll make it fit." The taller answered as he spread Makoto's legs and lubed up his fingers. Makoto moaned as Sousuke slipped in one finger and moved it around a little. Sousuke began to kiss Makoto's neck again, eventually beginning to leave marks. Makoto moaned and tilted his head to give Sousuke more access to his neck. Sousuke smiled and continued to leave his mark on his boyfriend's neck as he added a second finger and curled them. Makoto moaned Sousuke's name and pushed himself down on his fingers.

"So good~"

"Did you like that baby?"

"Yes~ Felt so good~" Sousuke smiled as he added a third finger and began to thrust his fingers. Makoto moaned louder and kept touching himself while Sousuke was fingering him. He leant down to the Makoto's ear and licked it.

"You like that, don't you? I guess it turns you on when I fill your hungry hole up with my fingers. I can't wait until I'm inside of you." Makoto moaned loudly and bit his lip.

"Please Sousuke~ I need you! I'm so close!" Makoto begged as he went faster. Sousuke took this opportunity to get one of Rin's hair ties and removed Makoto's hand from his cock. The hair tie was wrapped around Makoto's shaft as a makeshift cock ring, preventing him from cumming. Makoto groaned and looked at Sousuke who only smirked.

"Wouldn't want you to cum too soon, right?" Sousuke took his fingers out and replaced them with the head of his cock and slowly pushed in. Makoto moaned in pain and pleasure as he clenched tight around Sousuke. He grit his teeth as he stopped pushing in.

"You're gonna have to relax or else I can't start thrusting."

"I'm trying... it hurts...!" Makoto cried.

Sousuke sighed and kissed his cheek as he waited for Makoto to adjust to him. He couldn't be too impatient, it was Makoto's first time after all. After a few minutes the bottom calmed down and adjusted to Sousuke and gave him the go to move. Sousuke began to thrust slowly. Makoto moaned as he felt Sousuke move in and out of him, gradually getting faster. In no time at all, Sousuke was thrusting in and out of Makoto like there was no tomorrow. Makoto wrapped his legs around Sousuke's waist was he pulled on the sheets beneath him. Sousuke moaned and captured Makoto's lips in a hungry yet passionate kiss. The latter kissed back and wrapped an arm around his neck. Sousuke thrusted harder and hit that one spot that could make any male go crazy as he heard Makoto moan loudly. A smirk came on Sousuke's face as he thrusted harder and deeper to get more out of Makoto. With each thrust, Makoto felt himself getting closer and closer but the hair tie was tied around his shaft. Makoto looked down at it. The one thing that was keeping him from releasing.

"Sousuke~ Please let me cum! I'm so close!" Makoto begged. Sousuke took the hair tie off and stroked him in time with his thrusts. The receiving end moaned loudly as he came in Sousuke's hand. Sousuke came inside of him after a few more thrusts. The two panted heavily as they basked in the afterglow of sex. Sousuke pulled out and Makoto snuggled close to him.

"I love you, Sousuke." Makoto whispered as he fell asleep.

"I love you too, Makoto." Sousuke whispered in reply. The door opened and Rin came in but stopped in his steps as he saw his friends, naked, in his bed. His mouth was opened agape and felt his eye twitching like crazy. Sousuke noticed Rin's presence and smiled.

"Hello Rin~ Didn't see you there!"

"...You're cleaning up your own mess." Rin grumbled as he picked up everything that was on the floor and tossed it at Sousuke who easily caught everything. In the pile of clothes, Sousuke recovered the hair tie and held it up.

"Hey, you may wanna wash this thing."

"What are you talking abou- JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" The redhead yelled as he looked at one of his hair ties, covered in precum. Sousuke chuckled and threw it at Rin who moved out of the way before it could hit him. Rin flipped him off and stormed off mumbling something about sharing a bed with Nitori while Sousuke laughed and snuggled next to Makoto as he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

One week later

* * *

"I'm breaking up with you."

The words were enough to make Makoto feel like he was being stabbed in the heart. Sousuke's face held no expression as those words left his mouth. He was serious. All that Makoto could think about was what he could have done wrong to deserve this. Did he talk about Haru too much? Did he annoy Sousuke with his mother hen personality? He never cheated on him. He never did anything to hurt him. Why? That's all Makoto could think about. Why would Sousuke do this? Makoto breathed heavily as fresh tears began to sting his eyes. He looked at Sousuke, who still had the cold expression on his face. He wasn't playing, they were breaking up.

"Why? What did I do, Sousuke?"

"Isn't it obvious? I just wanted to bang you and now that I did that, I'm bored of you." Makoto's heart broke into pieces when he heard that. He was just used to fuel a starving libido. Makoto was trying not to let the tears flow or cry but it was getting hard as he put the pieces together. After they had sex, Sousuke began to get distant, even a little annoyed by him, and he even started to ignore his messages. Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he grabbed Sousuke's wrists.

"Please don't do this! I love you, you were my first!" Sousuke smirked and got himself out of Makoto's grasp.

"I guess that made banging you totally worth it." Makoto ran out. He didn't want Sousuke-or anyone else for that matter-to see him cry. He ran out of the Samezuka indoor pool with everyone wondering what happened. He didn't notice. Makoto just had to get out of there. He ran until he got home. He tried to sneak in, hoping his parents or his younger siblings wouldn't be there but he was wrong when he saw his mother cleaning the floor.

"Makoto, what's wrong?" She asked in a concerned voice. Makoto just ignored her and went to his room and cried. His heart was broken. His first love and the one who popped his cherry practically broke his heart and smirked about it. Who would blame him? Mrs. Tachibana came in the room and pet her eldest son's head and whispered things like "its okay," "let it out," and "i'm here." Once Makoto calmed down, he put his head in his hands. He was silent for a few minutes until he couldn't take it anymore.

"Sousuke broke up with me."

"Why?"

"He only wanted me for sex... he didn't love me like he said he did!" Makoto cried. His mother rubbed his back until he calmed down again.

"Honey, he probably wasn't worth your time. You'll find love again."

"No I won't. I'll never fall in love again, that way I won't be hurt."

"Do you want me to leave you alone for a while?" Makoto nodded and his mother left the room leaving him to think.

He felt betrayed. Sousuke used him for his own pleasure. It hurt to think about. Every "I love you" was just a sick lie. All the trust Makoto had for him was gained by lies. Makoto laid down and tried to sleep away this terrible nightmare, but it wasn't. It was reality giving him the finger. The reality was Sousuke and the finger was in the form of that heartless smirk he wore on his face. The teen continued to cry as he hugged his pillow. His heart was broken. He gave it to Sousuke thinking that he would treasure it but instead of taking care of it, he threw it to the ground and smashed it to pieces. Makoto felt as if his heart was in a state of disrepair and there was no hope of it to ever be repaired. Before Makoto could fall asleep, his phone buzzed. Makoto raised and eyebrow and checked his phone. There was a message from Haru, Rei, Nagisa, Rin, and Gou.

Haru: Why did you run out of practice today? Was something wrong?

Nagisa: Mako-chan! Please tell us what's the matter!

Rei: Makoto-senpai, please tell us, we're your friends.

Rin: What did Sousuke do? Tell me and I'll make him apologize!

Gou: Makoto, please talk to us. Whatever it is, we'll surely help you get through it! Please! We're all worried about you!

Makoto smiled a little. As lonely as he felt, he had to remember that he had great friends that would do anything for him and bend over backwards for him. He made a group chat and put his friends in it then texted what happened. He waited a few minutes and his phone buzzed again.

Haru: Sousuke is going to die

Nagisa: He's so mean!!!!

Rei: That is NOT beautiful at all!

Rin: I am going to fucking smother Sousuke with my pillow! I can't fucking believe he would do something like that!

Gou: 1. Rin, I'm pretty sure you'd get arrested and tried for murder. 2. Sousuke is a jerk!

Makoto: It's alright guys, really.

Haru: No it's not! He tricked you into having sex with him!

Gou: How can you be alright with what he did?

Makoto: It's his loss. One day he's going to realize what he gave up and come crawling back to me.

Rei: Makoto-senpai...

Nagisa: Do you want me to bring some ice-cream tomorrow?

Makoto: Why?

Nagisa: So you can gossip about Sousuke!

Makoto had to laugh at that. Sometimes, Nagisa could act like a teenage girl.

Makoto: Thanks guys, I appreciate you guys for helping me!

RIn: It's no problem. We're your friends!

Makoto smiled and put his phone down. No matter how betrayed he was, it was always relieveing to know that his friends would have his back and help him.

* * *

Two weeks later

* * *

"Makoto, I don't know how to break this to you but, you're pregnant."

Upon hearing those words, Makoto froze completely. How could this be? He was a male! He wasn't supposed to be able to bear children! He was at a loss for words. He was pregnant and it was Sousuke's baby. The doctor explained that it was a rarity to see a pregnant male because it was possible through a carrier gene that was long thought to be extinct but then once every year or two, there would be a pregnant male coming forward. Makoto didn't know what to do. He was going to university in Tokyo and that would put stress on him which would be bad for the baby. He left the office and went home. He still couldn't believe it. There was a life growing inside of him. He got home and went straight for his room and began to pack his things. He had to get out of here. How could he tell his parents that he's not going to university?

"Why are you packing son?"

Makoto froze in his actions and looked at his parents. They had concerned looks on their faces. Makoto sighed as he stopped packing and sat down on the bed. This was going to be hard. His parents will surely kick him out.

"Makoto, please, tell us what the doctor said."

"...You guys are going to be grandparents. Sousuke got me pregnant." He said in a grave tone as he went back to packing but the moment he did, his parents went to unpack his things. Makoto looked at his parents in surprise. He thought that they would surely freak out and give him the 'what the hell were you thinking' talk. Once his things were back in place, his parents turned to him. Makoto bowed in apology.

"I'm so sorry... I didn't mean for this to happen... I should have asked him if he had a condom..." He cried. His parents gathered him in a hug and held him as he cried his eyes out. After he calmed down, they had a talk. University was out and Makoto was stuck at home. Makoto figured he wasn't going to Tokyo but he didn't mind. He made this bed and he has to lay in it. When they were done, Makoto put a hand on his stomach. Part of that jerk who shall not be named was inside of him. He needed to talk to Haru. He picked up his phone and dialed Haru's number. It rang for a few times until it finally stopped.

"This better be important Makoto. Rin and I were about to have some fun." Makoto blushed a little but then shook his head.

"It is important. I have to talk to you, can I come over?"

"Um... yea. What is this about?"

"I'll tell you when I go over there." With that, Makoto hung up and left the house. How was Haru going to react to this? After all, Haru did not like Sousuke one bit and even threatened him with bodily harm should he ever hurt Makoto. The teen chuckled a little. Sousuke's probably going to get killed when Haru finds out Sousuke knocked him up. He reached Haru's house and walked in. Haru brought him into the living room where Rin was. Makoto told them what happened during his visit to the doctor. By the time he was done explaining, Rin was completely stunned while Haru looked half ready to kill somebody.

"You have to tell him." Rin said as soon as the words sank in. Makoto and Haru looked at him.

"Are you serious?" Haru asked.

"I don't condone what he did but Sousuke's the father and he has to step up." The brunette shook his head.

"No. I'm not going to tell him. I'm going to raise this baby myself."

"What?" Rin and Haru asked simultaneously.

"You heard me. I don't want Sousuke anywhere near me and I just don't want him to know in general."

"So I can't tell my roommate and best friend to grow a pair and step up to the plate because he knocked up one of my friends?" Makoto nodded in confirmation. He didn't want Sousuke near him. After the humiliating break-up, he'd rather not have to see his face. He can raise this baby all by himself. Deep in his mind he knew Sousuke had the right to know but he'd rather not have to force himself to get along with the guy who shattered his heart in pieces.

* * *

Nine Months Later

* * *

"It's a girl!"

A smile appeared on Makoto's face as he panted heavily and laid back as he heard his baby's cries. Finally. After nine months of hell, his baby was finally here. When the nurse got done with cleaning off the baby, Makoto got to hold her. She definitely came out looking like her father. He could see it in her face. Whose to say that she probably also has Sousuke's eyes? The baby cuddled into her mother as she slept. Makoto smiled at her. She was so adorable. Just like her father. A small frown came on his face when he thought of Sousuke. He wished Sousuke was here with him. Over the nine months, he had been contemplating calling Sousuke and telling him but when he picked up the phone, he immediately put it back down. He thought of the day Sousuke broke his heart and it always stopped him. Sousuke left his heart shattered and Makoto didn't want to put himself through the heartache of keeping his feelings for Sousuke in check while raising their child.

"Makoto?" He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Haru. He smiled when he saw Haru slowly coming close.

"She looks like him..." Haru said with a slight frown.

"I know. Hopefully she won't be a heartbreaker like him."

"He'll find out about her, even if Rin doesn't tell him." Makoto sighed. That was the downside to not telling Sousuke. He would find out on his own later and demand to come into her life. He could see it now and he could hear the argument they'd have. The words being spit out like poison, the tears that would follow, the forced apology.  Makoto lightly stroked her cheek with his finger. He didn't want to think about it now. Haru cleared his throat a little and Makoto looked up at him.

"Yes Haru?"

"Can I... hold her?"

"Of course but watch her head." Makoto softly warned as he gently handed her off to Haru. She was asleep for a few sweet minutes of quiet but the moment she opened her eyes and looked at Haru, she began to whimper which quickly turned into crying. Haru's eyes widened as he looked from the baby to Makoto.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, I think she may be hungry, hand her back over here." Haru gave the crying baby to her mother. Makoto began to shush her as he slid his hospital gown off his shoulder and guided her to his nipple. She latched on like velcro to hair and began to breastfeed. Makoto smiled as he watched her eat. Haru watched then smiled a little.

"So, what are you going to name her?"

"Yamazaki Shiori." Haru looked at him in disbelief, coming dangerously close to asking Makoto if he were still under the influence of some drugs. Makoto caught the look and sighed, "Don't look at me like I'm crazy. I'm well aware they have the same initials..." Shiori finished breastfeeding and Makoto burped her then gently rocked her to sleep. Haru sighed and pet his best friend's head.

"You're still in love with Yamazaki, aren't you?" Makoto was caught off guard by that question. One part of him still loved Sousuke but the other part of him hated Sousuke. He couldn't forgive Sousuke for lying to him and using him for sexual pleasure but he couldn't fully hate him because out of their little tryst came something wonderful and Makoto still deeply cared about him.

Makoto sighed, "I don't know. Part of me does but part of me doesn't." Haru nodded in understanding.

"Have you decided who's going to be Shiori's godparent?"

"I thought maybe you would."

"Me?"

"Yes. You're my best friend and I completely trust you. Would you be my baby's godfather?"

Haru smiled, "Of course." He stretched and checked the clock. "I have to go now, Rin's waiting for me at home. See you later." With that, Haru left. Makoto was alone in the room with Shiori. He brought her head up to his lips as he gently kissed her forehead.

"I'll take care of you as best I can, I promise." He whispered. Sousuke might not be there but Makoto is going to do his best to be a good parent to his daughter.


	2. Five Years Later (Makoto)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto's daily life five years later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this sucks!

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE-*

A hand slammed on the alarm to cease it from beeping any longer. A small yawn was heard from the hand's owner before he sat up. Morning light shone through the window and onto Makoto's face. It was five years since Makoto had his daughter and became a single parent. Over the years, Shiori had come to look like a mix between her parents but all Makoto could see was his ex. Some days found Makoto nearly tearing up when she smiled, some days found Makoto mistakingly calling her by her father's name. Most days found Makoto thinking about Sousuke and missing him. It had been five years since they'd last seen each other or had any interaction. Makoto didn't mind it though. Sousuke used him for his own personal gain and one day he would realize what he gave up and come crawling to his door, begging for Makoto to take him back. As sad as it may sound, the brunette had some pleasure thinking about it. His ex on his knees, crying and begging for a second chance. That little fantasy had to break out his vinidctive side. Makoto finally stopped daydreaming and got out of bed and began to go through his morning routine.

First up was the shower. Makoto stripped off his pajamas and turned the water on. He made sure it was hot before going in. A relaxed sigh came out of his mouth as he felt the hot water spray on his body. If there was one thing Makoto loved in the morning, it was a hot shower. After he got out of the shower he put on a pair of clean boxers and brushed his teeth. After his breath was minty fresh, he went back to his room and woke Shiori up from her slumber. As per every morning when she wakes up, Shiori groaned and snuggled more untder the covers. Makoto lauhed and kept trying to shake her awake. Just like her mother, Shiori was not a morning person. Shiori groaned louder and tried to ignore Makoto but it was failing as she was waking up. Finally, the girl woke up and yawned.

"Good morning Shi-chan!" Makoto greeted cheerfully. His daughter's response was a pout.

"Too early, Mama!" She whined.

"You can't sleep the day away and if you're in bed, you won't can't go to school."

"Don' wanna go to school!"

"Why not?"

She looked up at him innocently, "Mama's not there."

"But you have fun right?"

"Hai..."

"And you don't want to miss out on a day of fun, right?"

"Right..."

"And you don't want to make Sohma-sensei worry about you, right?"

"Sohma-sensei would worry about me?" Shiori asked, now fully awake. Makoto chuckled and pat her head.

"Of course. Teachers are like a second Mama and they worry about their kids just as much as I worry about you. You wouldn't want to worry Sohma-sensei, would you?"

She shook her head, "No! I don't wanna worry Sohma-sensei just like I don't wanna worry Mama! I'll brush my teeth!" With that, Shiori was off to the bathroom. Makoto smiled and began to get dressed. He had been working at a coffee shop for the past four years and enjoyed the job. The money he earned he kept and saved away in hoped of getting an apartment and moving out of his parents' house. He felt bad with having to burden them for a place he and Shiori could stay at. His parents didn't mind but Makoto still felt a little bad. When he got dressed, he got Shiori ready for school and the two went downstairs. Makoto began to make breakfast while Shiori bounced in her seat. When he was done, he gave Shiori her food then set a place for himself and begun to eat. After they ate, they got their shoes on and were out the door.

As they walked to Shirori's school, they crossed paths with Haru who was on his to work at the cafe. After graduation, Haru decided to become a chef and got a job at a cafe of good fame. Makoto was surprised that he didn't become a professional swimmer. Haru's response was that one of a kind "I only swim free" line. Being a chef was good too, Haru was a great cook! ...When he wasn't making mackeral... When Shiori caught sight of her godfather, she smiled and bounced up and down.

"Haru-chan!" The black-haired man turned to look at the girl and smiled a little. Normally he'd tell someone to leave off the "-chan" but for Shiori, he lets her get away with it. No one knows why. Some says it's because she's his goddaughter so she gets away with certain things. Some say it's because she's a kid and kids get away with almost everything. In all honesty, Haru let her use the "-chan" because she, somehow, was like another Nagisa.

"Ohayougozaimasu, Shiori. Heading off to school?"

"Yea, Mama woke me up early..." She pouted.

Haru faked a gasp, "Makoto, you devil!" Makoto chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"What can I say? I live to make my baby rise like the sun." They walked together until they came to a split, as they were going different ways. Haru took Shiori since her school is on his way to his job. Makoto gave her a kiss on the forehead then went on his way to work. When he got there, Nagisa was already making the coffee. Makoto got in the back and put his jacket away before joining his co-worker behind the counter.

"Ohayou, Mamakoto! How's my little Shi-chan?" Makoto playfully rolled his eyes and shook his head. Ever since Makoto had Shiori, Nagisa had taken to calling him Mamakoto. The brunette got annoyed at first but then the name started to grow on him so he continued to let Nagisa call him that.

"She's just wonderful. Oh, and she has her first loose tooth!"

"That's so cute! Oh, the manager told me to tell you that you can work overtime this weekend." Makoto nodded and the first customer came in. It was Rin, who was in his police force uniform.

"Hey Makoto."

"Hi Rin. The usual?"

"You know it." Rin handed Makoto the money and the brunette got to working on Rin's susal order of two coffees. One with cream and sugar, one black. As Makoto made the coffee, Rin began to make conversation.

"So, how's little miss Yamazaki?"

"She's wonderful. Are you still free to watch her this weekend?"

"Yea. Did you get overtime?"

Makoto nodded as he finished off Rin's order. They said their goodbyes and then the morning rush came in. Customers coming, customers going. That's Makoto's normal day. Most people were the same, some were new. When the day was over, Makoto and Nagisa cleaned up then closed up shop. After the two said their goodbyes and began to part ways, Makoto told Nagisa to say hi to Rei for him and Nagisa told Makoto to give Shiori a hug for him. Makoto went home and when he opened the door, he was instantly attacked by three bodied smaller than his own. He looked down to see Ren, Ran, and Shiori hugging him. Makoto had to smile at that. When the twins first heard that there was going to be a new baby in the house, they weren't too ecstatic about it but when Shiori came home, they fell in love with her and went crazy over her. They finally let him go so that Makoto could take his shoes off. He picked up Shiori and went to the living room.

"Did you have a good day at school Shi-chan?"

"Yes! Today at school Sohma-sensei told us to draw our family in class today!" Shiori smiled as she showed her mother the picture she drew. In the picture was himself and his family. Over his head was written "Mama" and over everyone else in the family were their appropriate titles. He smiled and pat her head.

"This is wonderful!"

"Really?"

"Yes! I have to hang this on the fridge after dinner!" Shiori smiled and then frowned as if she had remembered something. Makoto caught the look and the smile on his face fell. Something was wrong. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"How come I don't have a papa like everyone else?" The brunette was taken aback by her question. This was the first time she ever had a question about her father. Makoto was expecting it but that was when she first learned how to talk but the "Where's Daddy?" question never came. Personally, Makoto was happy to not have heard the question or answer it but now she looked so serious like she wanted the truth. Finally Makoto sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"You're too young to fully understand but-"

"Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Tachibana shouted. In a flash, Shiori had left Makoto and went to the table. The brunette looked at his mother and mouthed a 'thank you.' Mrs. Tachibana smiled and nodded as she went to the table, with Makoto following suit. When the rest of the household got to the table, they ate. After dinner, the children of the house went to play a game while the adults ate. Makoto hung Shiori's drawing on the fridge like he said he would and his mother saw the picture and smiled a little.

"She's not going to be this young forever. One day she's going to want to know the truth and I can't bail you out by yelling that dinner's ready."

"I know."

"What are you two talking about?" Mr. Tachibana asked with a raised eyebrow.

Makoto answered, "Shiori asked me about her father." His father nodded in understanding.

"How did you respond?"

"...Mom bailed me out when she said that dinner was ready. I couldn't answer her."

"Son..."

"What was I supposed to do? Tell a lie? Sugarcoat it for her until she realizes?"

"Yes. Or you could maybe tell Sousuke he has a daughter and make the deadbeat get involved in her life." Makoto sighed and sat down. Here comes another "You have to tell him" lecture. For five years Makoto had been given this lecture and for five years nothing had been done. Makoto closed his eyes. Everyone couldn't understand the fact that he was comfortable being a single parent. He didn't need Sousuke and Shiori was just fine without knowing her father. ...Until tonight that is.

"I've been fine without Sosuke for five years."

"But what about your daughter? She doesn't know her father and she asked you about him. That should be a sign, my boy."

"A sign of what?"

"You need to let Sousuke know he has a daughter. If a child asks their single parent where their other parent is, that should raise a red flag." Makoto pinched the bridge of his nose. His father was right and so was everyone else who said that he should tell Sousuke. 

"Please not this again... we're fine wthout him!"

Mrs. Tachibana cut in, "Fine? You still live at home and you work at a coffee shop full-time."

"I'm making it work. Most of what I earn is being saved for an apartment."

"What about Shiori? What happens when she gets older and starts to resent you; even going as far to accuse you of intentionally keeping her from her father?" Makoto was about to come back with something but he shut himself up. He hadn't thought of that possibility. Somehow in his choice not to tell Sousuke, the brunette never really thought of what he was keeping away from his daughter. He took a glance to the living room where Shiori was playing with Ren and Ran. She looks so happy, so content with her life but under all that, who knows what other questions she has? Makoto swallowed the lump he had in his throat and exhaled heavily.

"I don't know how to answer that question but I will say this; I chose to raise Shiori by myself and I will stand by that choice. If she decides she wants Sousuke in her life when she gets older, she can spend all the time in the world with him but as for now, she's just fine without him." As if Makoto had made the mistake Tom Walker did by mentioning the Devil, Shiori appeared and tugged on Makoto's shirt.

"I'm tired, Mama..." Makoto stood up and picked her up. He looked at his parents who gave him the look that said 'we'll talk about this later.' Makoto mentally sighed as he took Shiori upstairs and got her in the bath. As he washed his hair and she played with the toy orca and whale shark she received from a certain freestyle swimmer, Shiori put down the toys and let them float in the water.

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

"Do I have a papa?"

Makoto slightly paused, "Of course you do."

"Where is he?"

"I... I don't know where he is."

"Why not?" Makoto stopped rubbing the shampoo and conditioner in her hair for a bit. Shiori looked at him with her green eyes questioning him, almost burning into his very soul for an answer. One look into those eyes and Makoto knew he couldn't get away from this again.

"Before you were born, Papa hurt me." Shiori raised an eyebrow in confusion and looked at Makoto's knees and elbows.

"Where are the bruises?"

"Papa hurt my heart." Makoto pointed to his chest.

"Oh. Why did he hurt your heart Mama?"

"Because Papa was a selfish boy."

"Why?"

"I have no idea. Papa pretended to like me but one day he showed his true colors and hurt me real bad."

"Does Papa love me?"

"He... He hasn't had the chance yet but if he did, he would love you as muh as I do." The man said as he kissed his daughter's forehead. Shiori smiled and began to play with her toys again while Makoto finished giving her a bath. Once she was all dried up and dressed, Makoto put her in bed and tucked her in when she suddenly turned to him.

"Can you please tell me a story?"

"Since you asked me so nicely, I will. Once upon a time there was a little mermaid who wanted to visit the outside world. One day, the mermaid went to the surface and saw a ship wreck! The mermaid caught sight of a handsome prince who was sinking. The mermaid decided to save the human. When the mermaid got the human to the safety of the shore, the mermaid stared at the prince. 'He's handsome..' The mermaid thought. Before he could do anything, the prince woke up and the mermaid got so scared he went back to the ocean. The prince wondered who had saved him and went to the shore everyday to see if he could find the one who save his life until one day he saw a strange man lying on the beach. The prince tried to ask the man if he were ok but the man couldn't answer him back for he could not talk. The prince decided to let the man into his castle but little did he know, the man he let in his home would soon find a way into his heart. Three days later, the man suddenly fell and when the prince saw him, the man had a fish tail! The prince recognized him and asked why the mermaid had kept the secret. The mermaid responded with 'I wanted to be with you! I gave up the ocean to be with you!' The prince smiled and kissed the man back. The two got married and-" *SNORE* Makoto stopped his story to see Shiori had fallen asleep. He smiled and genty kissed her forehead. "They had a baby and live happily ever after." He whispered as he stood up and chenged into his own pajamas. When he did, he slid in next to her and turned the light off.

Night time, for Makoto, felt like a lonely time. The only thing that filled his ears were the sounds of crickets and Shiori's breathing (and occasional snores). Makoto used this time to think, possibly even question some life decisions. In the darkness, Makoto used this time to think about Sousuke. For five years, Makoto always thought about Sousuke. What he was doing, how his shoulder was, what he did for a living, where he lived, if he moved on with his life, if he was screwing someone else over. Basically, everything. Makoto laid down in the bed and closed his eyes as he began to drift to sleep with his ex on his mind. _Why do I keep thinking about the man who broke my heart?_ , was always Makoto's last thought before he slipped into the land of sleep.


	3. Five Years Later (Sousuke)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke's daily life five years later

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE-*

A fist came in contact with a snooze button. Sousuke groaned as he woke up, still groggy from his deep sleep. Morning light shone through the window and into his eyes. The man groaned again and closed his eyes as he adjusted to the light. After five years, Sousuke is currently living in his own apartment and is working as a cop with Rin. They dared each other to go to the nearest police academy and join the force, from there you can guess what happened. Sousuke stretched a little and grimaced when he felt the pain in his shoulder. _Dammit! I slept on it again..._ The stoic man thought as he got out of bed and went to the bathroom. When he got there, the shower was running and he could hear some singing coming from the other side of the shower curtain. Sousuke sighed as his roommate, and current boyfriend, Kisumi, was in the shower using up all the hot water as per usual of every morning. Sousuke was not in the mood to deal with his boyfriend's shit so he pulled back the shower curtain. Whn Kisumi noticed him, he screamed then glared at Sousuke.

His light pink hair was covered in suds from his shampoo and his body was wet from the shower water that was still going on. Kisumi and Sousuke had been together for three years after the brunette answered a drunken disorderly conduct call at a local bar. Kisumi had gotten into a fight with some guy and was about to hit the guy with a chiar before Sousuke got there and broke up the fight and arrested him on the spot. When Kisumi sobered up, the two got to catching up and went on one date which led to many more after that and eventually Kisumi moving into Sousuke's apartment. The brunette thought it would be paradise having Kisumi living with him but so far it's only been 100% pure concentrated Hell. Kisumi was insufferable! He took very long showers in the morning, only cooked the stuff he wanted for dinner, never paid his bills, and was a free-loader. Kisumi growled and crossed his arms.

"And what did you want?" He sneered with his nose in the air. Sousuke kept his normal serious expression on his face.

"I need to take a shower and you're hogging all the hot water!"

"Oh please, that's gonna be a waste of water! Why don't we shower together~" The pink-haired man spoke in a sultry tone.

Inwardly, the stoic man groaned as he remembered another problem about his boyfriend. He had a raging libido! When they first weren't living together, Sousuke didn't mind because he was getting free sex that he didn't have to go on a date for but when Kisumi moved in, Sousuke found out how much of a work out sex was. In one night, did seven rounds and Kisumi was still able to say "Let's go again," which made Sousuke have to fake shoulder pains and go to sleep. Recently, Sousuke had been resisting Kisumi's advances out of fear that he would have to do more rounds afterwards. Sousuke sighed and put his hands up in defeat.

"No thanks. I think I'll go over to Rin's and bum off his shower. Unlike you, he doesn't try to get me into having shower sex."

Kisumi huffed, "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You have a raging libido that I can't keep up with. What do you think it means?"

"You bastard!" The pink-haired man growled.

"I'll have you know that I am not a bastard, my parents were married while I was born." He smirked.

The man in the shower rinsed his hair out and then got out but not before purposely bumping into Sousuke's bad shoulder. Sousuke grimaced again and instead of helping his boyfriend, Kisumi just ignored him. Today was going to be one of those days where Sousuke questioned why he was still with Kisumi. In the beginning he was sure he loved him but now, he wasn't sure if he even wanted to keep his relationship with him. There was no love anymore and if there was any love, it would be in those periods when Sousuke would get injured on the job or when Sousuke gives into Kisumi's seduction tactics. Sousuke sighed and got ready for work, wanting his head to be cleared for the tough work day ahead.

When Sousuke got to work, the place was busy, as usual. Suspects or perps of crimes were being escorted around the building to holding cells or interrigation rooms, some even going to line-up. The brunette man went to his desk and began to do some paperwork. On days when it doesn't seem to be anywhere for him and RIn to be, Sousuke always does paperwork while Rin just plays sudoku. Speaking of Rin, he should be here with the coffee. Every morning the redhead goes to some coffee shop and gets it. Sousuke has offered many times to go one of these days but Rin says its fine and that he doesn't have to worry himself over something so trivial. In the end, Sousuke always shrugs it off but at the same time wonders if Rin might be secretly dating the barrista. That can't be. Rin is completely in love with Nanase. In his actions, Sousuke paused. Thinking about his best friend and that chef made the young man think about his previous relationship with Makoto and compare it to his current relationship with Kisumi. With Makoto, it was heaven and time seemed to always pause for them. With Kisumi, it was hell and everyday seemed like an eternal nightmare.

"Sousuke!"

"Gyah!" The cop yelled as he fell out of his chair as his thoughts were suddenly interrupted. Rin laughed and set down a coffee cup on his desk. Slowly, Sousuke stood up and sat back down in his chair and took a sip of coffee. Black, just like he liked it. The hot, bitter liquid went down his throat like a lake going down the stream. His redheaded partner blinked and sat down next to him.

"Kisumi problems again?"

"Yes."

"What happened this time?" Sousuke put his cup down and turned to his friend.

"This morning he got in the shower before me and took too long and then he tried to get me to fuck him in the shower. I refused and insulted him on his sex drive then when he got out he purposely bumped into my shoulder which was already hurting because I slept on it by accident." RIn listened to his relationship problems and signed a little.

"You two seriously need to work on your relationship. Good thing we're off tomorrow, huh?" The brunette ran his hands through his hair.

"I don't think I wanna stay at home with Kisumi tomorrow... He'll try to get me into bed with him all day. What are you doing?"

"I'm spending the day with my friend's daughter at the park."

"Why?"

"Her mother has to work tomorrow and the kid wanted to spend the day with her Uncle RinRin."

Sousuke snickered, "Uncle RinRin...!"

"Laugh all you want, Officer Yamazaki. I'm not the one in a fucked up relationship." Sousuke's face hardened at the mention of Kisumi. He wanted to be shut of his boyfriend for the day and not have to think about him until he got home. Sousuke went bac to the paperwork he started earlier and Rin know he had struck a nerve.

"Look, if you don't want to spend the day with Kisumi tomorrow, then you should look for couple's counseling."

After that, there was silence between the two and the rest of the day went on. Paperwork being filed, answering some calls. One with domestic disturbance, another with noise complaint, two disorderly conducts, and one complaint about a nudist on the beach. Just a normal day for Sousuke. At the end of the day, Sousuke and Rin said their goodbyes and parted their ways. As Sousuke drove home, he kept thinking about Kisumi. Maybe it was time for them to break up. Sousuke felt trapped in their relationship and Kisumi seemed to only want the physical aspects of their relationship, not the emotional Sousuke somehow began to crave. Souske mentally sighed. _I don't know what I'm going to do..._ He thought at he pulled up in his parking spot. He got out of the car and went to his aparment. Before he could dig his key out, the door opened and Sousuke was enveloped in a warm hug.

He looked down to see pink hair on his chest. Slowly, he hugged back and held Kisumi close. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Sousuke came inside and was ushered to the table. Kisumi had made his favorite meal. Sousuke smiled and sat down as he began to eat. After he was done, the couple washed the dishes together and cuddled on the couch. Kisumi sat in his lap as Sousuke held him close.

"So, what's with you being nice all of a sudden? Usually I have to beg you for dinner."

"I decided to do something nice for you. Since you're off tomorrow, I figured I could let you relax. We could cuddle and watch movies all day. How does that sound?" Sousuke smiled and kissed him.

"That sounds amazing." They continued to kiss until Sousuke began to get tired. His eyelids dropped heavily, despite his wishes. He felt out of it, both mind and body. He looked at Kisumi who had that smile on his face. Sousuke wanted to smack it off but his body wouldn't allow him to do so. Before he could ask what the hell was going on, he fell back to the couch and began to fall asleep. The last thing his saw was Kisumi's face over his and that devilish grin flashing in his face.

* * *

The next mroning when Sousuke woke up, he had the worst headache imaginable. It felt like he had gotten really drunk the night before and he was waking up with a terrible hangover. Slowly, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He woke up and looked to his side to see nothing that woud help with his headache. He mentally groaned and got out of bed and to the medicine cabinet. He popped two aspirin in his mouth and looked at his reflection. Nothing was drawn on his face, no bruises. He yawned and went back to the bedroom where he saw Kisumi in a sexy nurse outfit. Sousuke's eyes widened as he felt himself getting aroused at the sight.

"Oh~ looks like my patient is up and out of bed~" Sousuke blushed and walked closer to the bed.

"Kisumi, what the hel did you put in my food last night?"

"I wanted you to have a good surprise when you woke up so I spiked your food a little. Sowwy~"

"But what about all the things you said we would do today?"

Kisumi shrugged, "We can still do them, but, for right now, can we please enjoy each other for one round?" The purple eyed man pouted as he got off the bed and walked up to Sousuke and gave him a passionate kiss. Sousuke wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed back. Kisumi moaned and wrapped his arms around Sousuke's neck. Sousuke smirked in the kiss and gently pushed Kisumi down to the bed. Their kiss deepened as Sousuke slipped his tongue into Kisumi's mouth. Kisumi broke the kiss and panted as he looked up at Sousuke.

"Lay down, I'm gonna do all the work." Sousuke obeyed and laid down.

Kisumi smirked and pulled Sousuke's sweatpants down. He began to palm Sousuke's half-hard erection through his underwear. Sousuke moaned and bucked his hips into Kisumi's touch. The pink-haired man smirked and continued to do what he was doing. As a result, Sousuke got harder with his touch. Kisumi smirked and pulled down Sousuke's underwear and almost got hit in the face with his cock. A blush appeared on the brunette's face while Kisumi smiled.

"Is this for me?"

"No, it's for the tooth fairy, yes it's for you!"

The look on Kisumi's face never left as he took Sousuke in his mouth and began to suck. Sousuke moaned loudly as he tangled his hand in his boyfriend's hair and guided him further down his shaft. Kismu began to bob his head as he moaned against him. The vibrations made Sousuke buck his hips into Kisumi's mouth. His hips were held down and the brunette whimpered. Purprle eyes looked up at him innocently as he bobbed his head up and down for a while until he suddenly stopped. Sousuke looked at him. Kisumi just giggled and straddled Sousuke's hips. A blush appeared on Sousuke's face when he realized what Kisumi was going to do. He put his hands on the slender waist as Kisumi's heat began to surround his shaft.

They both moaned loudly as they looked at each other with lust in their eyes. Kisumi began to ride Sousuke. The brunette moaned as he kept his hands where they were. Kisumi placed his hands over Sousuke's and guided one of them to his hard cock. Soususke got the message and began to pump Kisumi. The pink-haired man moaned louder as he rode Sousuke faster. Sousuke couldn't take it anymore. He flipped them over and began to pound into Kisumi. The bottom began to scream Sousuke's name as he felt his prostate getting hit dead on. They looked at each other and kissed each other roughly as Sousuke thrusted. Kisumi was the one to break the kisss with a moan as he clutched the sheets. Sousuke smirked as he thrusted deeper which made the man under him moan in pleasure.

"Sosuke~ I'm going to cum!"

Sousuke kept thrusting in response. Kisumi moaned louder as he got closer and closer until he finally reached his climax. The two panted as Souske pulled out. He was still hard. Kisumi smiled and got on his knees and took Sousuke into his mouth again as he began to suck him off. Sousuke moaned loudly as he felt himself getting close. Kisumi moaned against him as he bobbed his head faster, trying to get Sousuke off. Finally, Sousuke came inside of Kisumi's mouth. The pink-haired man swallowed every drop while Sousuke watched and panted, coming down from his high. Kisumi looked at his through half-lidded eyes that were still clouded with lust. Sousuke began to get off the bed to take a shower but his hand was grabbed. He turned to look at Kisumi who still had that lusty look on him.

"I need you inside of me again! I want more! Please Sousuke~"

"I thought you said we'd only do one round!"

"That was until I remembered how good you felt inside of me~ Please Sousuke, I need you so bad~" Kisumi begged. Sousuke shook his head and shook himself of Kisumi's grip as he grabbed some clothes and went to the shower. He knew he shouldn't have thought to spend the day with Kisumi. He showered, got dressed, got his keys and got the hell out of there before his boyfriend could stop him. The brunette didn't bother to get in the car, he just ran to the park. He didn't want to talk to anyone so he went to a park of the park where Rin wouldn't be with someone's kid.

Sousuke stopped running and began to pant as he sat down on the bench. _God, why is my life so fucked up?!_ Sousuke thought as he buried his head in his hands. His shoulder was already fucked up beyond compare and now his love life was. He wanted to work on his relationship with Kisumi but what they have is so broken, there doesn't seem any hoe for them to remain together. Sousuke wants to make it work, maybe have some compromise of some sort. Yea right. Kisumi and compromise don't seem to go into the same sentence. A heavy sigh came out of Sousuke's mouth as he sat up and watched the clouds in the sky slowly stroll by. A small smile came on his face as he remembered the countless times he and Makoto came to the park, laid down int he grass, and watched the clouds. Sometimes, Makoto would point out what the clouds looked like. While Sousuke was reminiscing about the old times with Makoto, a green scarf with teal stripes flew towards the direction of the duck pond.

"My scarf!" A child's voice yelled. Sousuke looked at the direction where the voice came from and it came from a little girl with dark brown hair and green eyes running by, trying to keep up with the scarf. As if by some instinct, Sousuk got up and began to run after the scarf to help the girl. They were able to chase the scarf down to the duck pond, where it had fallen in. The girl pouted and began to cry about how her favorite scarf was going to be lost forever. Sousuke didn't want to see the girl cry so he took a deep breath and went into the pond and got the girl's scarf for her. When he got out, he was wet and cold but he didn't care. The girl smiled and tok her scarf back.

"Thank you so much, mister! I thought I would lose my scarf!" She cheered as she wrapped the scarf around her neck. Sousuke smiled as he rang his shirt out.

"It's no problem, kid. Just make sure you don't lose it again." The man looked down at the girl and the smile that was there turned to shock. This child... she reminded him of someone he knew. Before he could ask her who she came here with, another person came to join them. It was Rin who was sporting a look of disappointment.

"Shiori, don't just run off without me! I got scared thinking you'd been kidnapped!" The redhead scolded. Shiori looked down in embarrassment and closed her eyes apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Uncle RinRin. My scarf flew away and I was running after it. But this nice man went into the pond and got it for me!" Rin looked up and finally noticed Sousuke.

"Sousuke?"

"Hey Rin. Can I talk to you for a little?"

"Um... sure. Shiori, stay near the ducks and if anyone tries to get you to leave with them, run to me, ok?"

"Hai!" Shiori nodded and watched the ducks. Sousuke and Rin stepped off to the side where they could still see Shiori. The brunette looked at his partner with the same serious expression he always seemed to have and asked the question,

"Rin, does Shiori seem familiar to you?"


	4. A Day Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke spends the day with a girl and feels a connection with her

"Rin, does Shiori seem familiar to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, she looks like she could be my daughter!" Sousuke whisper-yelled as he glared at Rin. It was fairly obivous, how come Rin didn't see it?

"Dude, you're crazy. She looks nothing like you."

"If she looks nothing like me when why did I see something very familiar when I took a good look at her, huh? Why do I feel like I've seen those green eyes before?" Sousuke turned and looked at the girl. She was petting the ducks with a gentle smile on her face. He was so sure he had seen that face once before on someone else. Rin sighed and scartched the back of his neck.

"Since you're already here and it doesn't look like you're going back home to the Satan's spawn, why don't you spend the day with us?"

"Really?"

"Yea. Shiori seems to take a shining to you, why not?" Sousuke nodded and the two went back to where Shiori was. Rin smiled and picked her up. As a result the child giggled and held onto the cop so that she wouldn't fall.

"Shi-chan, this is my friend, Sousuke. Say hi." Shiori looked at him. Sousuke felt like he had been frozen in place, almost as if a spell was cast over him. In her eyes, Sousuke could see all of the innocence and kindness still left int he world rolled into a set of emerald orbs. Shiori smiled and held her scarf close.

"Hi Sou-san! It's nice to meet you!" She beamed.

"Nice to meet you too, Shiori." Sousuke replied.

They walked away from the duck pond and went to the nearest playground. Rin set her on the ground and Shiori ran off to play with the other kids while Sousuke and Rin sat down on the bench and watched her. As he watched her play, Sousuke couldn't help but feel like he had a connection to her. He didn't know what it was and he couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt like there was something there. Shiori ran off the playground and grabbed Sousuke's hand, pulling him off his seat and towards the swings.

When they got there, there was one swing left and Shiori took it. Sousuke got the pont and got behind he as he began to push her. Shiori squealed everytime she went up in the sky. The dark-haired man smiled as he listened to her laugh. After a while, Shiori got tired from swinging and Sousuke let her down. Shiori looked up at him and lifted her arms up in the air. Sousuke picked her up and hissed in pain when his shoulder began to act up. Shiori picked up on it and her face showed a worried expression.

"Sou-san?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"My shoulder hurts a little but I'll be fine." He smiled through the pain. Unfortunately, Shiori was not convinced and kissed Sousuke's shoulder. The man raised an eyebrow and looked at her while the child just giggled at him.

"Mama said that when someone has a boo-boo, you have to kiss it to make it better! Your shoulder had a boo-boo and I wanted to kiss it better!"

Sousuke chuckled, "Your mama sounds like an angel." Shiori giggled as Sousuke carried her back to Rin.

The redhead stood up and suggested that they go get something to eat as it was getting close to lunch time and Shiori's mother would lecture him if they didn't eat. They walked to a restaurant and had lunch. After they ate, they spent the rest of the day window shopping until it was time for Shiori to go home. Sousuke volunteered to take her home but Rin insisted on dropping her off as he knew where she lived. They said their goodbyes and they went their separate ways. Rin and Shiori watched Sousuke's back grow maller and smaller before they left. When they got to the front dor of the Tachibana household, Rin knocked on the door and Makoto answered. Immediately, Makoto scooped his daughter up in his arms and kissed her cheek.

"Was she good?"

"She's as good as always and we had lunch a couple hours ago then went window shopping."

"Thank you for watching her, Rin. Sorry to make you waste your day off."

"It's no troubale at all. It beats having to be sitting alone in the house while Haru's at work. Speaking of which, he's getting off in an hour. Talk to you later!" Rin departed as he ran away. Makoto laughed and brought Shiori in the house. Makoto helped her take her winter clothes off and took her to the living room to watch tv until dinner. After dinner, Makoto gave her a bath and put her to bed. Before her mother could leave the room, Shiori asked another question relating to her father,

"Mama, what was Papa like?" Makoto turned around and looked at Shiori. He returned to the bed and sat down. Shiori crawled into his lap and laid her head on his chest.

"Papa was nice. He was very loving, he was kind, and he was strong."

"Did Papa love you?"

"At first, he seemed to love me very much but in the end he didn't really care for me."

"Do you love Papa?"

"I... I don't know if I do."

"Why?" She questioned, tilting her head.

"It's complicated, sweetie. Part of me loves Papa, part of me hates Papa." Shiori nodded slowly and closed her eyes and began to fall asleep, but not before asking one more question.

"Do I love Papa?" Makoto smiled and moved her back on the bed.

"That depends on you. Sweet dreams, Shi-chan."

"Oyasuminasai..." Shiori yawned as she fell asleep. Makoto kissed her forehead and tucked her in. He sighed and watched her sleep. Even in her sleep, she looks like him. Maybe his parents were right. Maybe it was time for Sousuke to come into the picture. He ran his hand through his hair as he laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling until he fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Sousuke woke up to an empty bed again. Kisumi was no where to be seen. Nothing from the kitchen, no sounds of the TV, and the shower was not on. He raise an eyebrow in confusion and looked at his bedside table to see there was a note. It read the following: 'Dear Sousuke, I'm going to spend some time with my family today so that I can figure if I want to remain in this relationship with you. Don't burn down the apartment.- Kisumi' Sousuke shrugged and threw the note out. He'd have a day without Kisumi. He didn't know whether that would be a good thing or a bard thing. No matter. At least he's getting a break from Kisumi's sexual advances. He began to get ready for work.

After he got ready he left and drove himself to the police station. When he got there, Rin was there before him and his coffee was on the desk. Sousuke sat down and began to take sips of his coffee. The two didn't say a word as they got their paperwork done. In the middle of his paperwork, Sousuke found something on a five-year-old girl who had gone missing in Tokyo. A tear slid out of Sousuke's eye as he imagined the hell the parents are going through. Sousuke's mind paused as he wiped the tear away. Why did he shed a tear? He put the paperwork down and looked at Rin. Yesterday, after spending the day with that little girl, Sousuke continuously wondered where she came from and why she seemed so familiar to him. She had to be the daughter of someone he used to know and Rin knew it.

"Oi, Rin."

"Huh?"

"That girl, Shiori, what's her mother's name?" Rin stiffened at the question and answered,

"Her mother's name is Maya." That... was a lie. Sousuke never knew a woman named Maya, or slept with anyone named Maya. Rin knew something he didn't. Sousuke decided not to press on further as he got up and went down to the lab where one Rei Ryuugazaki was going some work analyzing a bullet.

"Yo Ryuugazaki!" Rei jumped and looked at Sousuke and waved.

"What brings you here, Sousuke-san?" Sousuke sat on a stool and crossed his arms.

"I need to find out where someone came from. Is there any way for the DNA of everyone in Japan to be on file?" Rei stopped analyzing the bullet and shook his head.

"No, but if you want I could look up birth certificates in every hospital within the nation. What's the name and when were they born?" The scientist asked as he went to the computer and opened up some sort of database.

"I don't know her last name but her first name is Shiori and she had to have been born within the last five years, possibly in Iwatobi General Hospital." Rei typed the information and in an instant there was a ding coming from the computer. The blue-haired man's shoulder's slumped a little and he turned around to face the older cop. Sousuke caught the look and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Sousuke-san... I don't know how to tell you this... in fact, I wish you were finding this out from someone else but uh... it seems that you're a father." As if a spell had been casted, all time seemed to freeze. Sousuke was frozen where he stood as the words "you're a father" rang in his ears. He couldn't believe it, that girl from yesterday was his daughter. His eyes rolled in theback of his head and he fell to the ground with a thud as the world turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this seemed a little shorter than usual!


	5. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuk finds out he has a daughter and confronts Makoto after five years

"...suke-san! Sousuke-san!" A voice called.

Sousuke woke up and looked at a ceiling and Rei with some smelling salts in his hand. Slowly, Sousuke sat up and put his hand to his head. He couldn't believe it. How did he have a daughter?! How was this possible?! Rei helped him up and dusted him off. The look of surprise never left Sousuke's face as he thought of everyone he slept with. He didn't use protection, mainly because he was free of STD's. He should have done anal, then he wouldn't be in this situation. The cop sighed and looked up at Rei.

"What's the mother's name?" Rei sighed a little and bit his lip. After a few minutes, the scientist finally answered.

"Makoto-senpai."

"Just as I thought... I'm a father..." Sousuke mumbled. He was still in a state of disbelief. How could this have happened? More importantly, why didn't he know? Surely as the father Makoto would have gone out of his way and told him they were going to have a baby. Without any other word, Sousuke left the lab and went back to his desk.

Sousuke looked at Rin through his peripheral vision. The redhead didn't even bat an eyelash at him. Deep down, Sousuke wanted to yell at him and ask him why he didn't tell him when he found out but Sousuke kept the desire down so that he wouldn't attract attention. The two continued to work in silence until a call came for them to settle a noise complaint. Sousuke and Rin got in the squad car and drove down to the location where the call came from. When they got down there, they could still hear the yelling comeing from inside the house. They got out of the car and Sousuke knocked on the door. A man, presumably in his 30's, answered and he glared at Sousuke as if he didn't want him here.

"The hell do you want?"

"There was a noise complaint at this address. What's going on in there?" The man looked behind him and back to the cops. That movement made the young cop feel uneasy.

"Who made the call?"

"I don't know her name, but the call said a little girl made the call."

"Oh... Her mother and I were fighting and it got... out of control. It's all resolved now, you two can go." Rin and Sousuke looked at each other. This man was obviously lying. Some shit was going down in there.

"I'm afraid we can't do that. May we come in?" Rin asked calmly. The man reluctantly let the two cops inside. Sousuke couldn't believe his eyes when he walked in the living room. The couch was tipped over. The lamp was broken. Shards of glass covered the floor. In the middle of all the destruction, there was a woman crying on the floor, clutching her face. Rin went over to the woman while Sousuke went upstairs to find the daughter. He entered the girl's room and found her crying in the corner. Slowly, Sousuke approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She shook violently and shook her head vigorously.

"No! No! No! Leave me alone!" The girl shouted.

"I'm not going to harm you." He said in a gentle tone. The child turned to him with fear in her eyes. Sousuke picked her up and carried her downstairs where the man was no where in sight and Rin was talking to the woman.

"Ma'am, how did this start?" The woman sighed and took a moment to wipe her tears.

"My husband... he came home earlier than he usually does and began to accuse me of cheating on him. I told him the truth that I wasn't but he didn't believe me. He got angrier when I kept denying it and flipped the furniture over, broke a lot of glass and hit me."

"Why would he ask that and get violent when you gave him the truth?"

"I used to be a little... out of control in my youth and got pregnant from a one night stand. My parents forced me to marry that man so my baby wouldn't be born out of wedlock. It's been Hell but my daughter and I have lived."

"Why didn't you leave?"

"I have to keep my parents off my back, don't I?" The woman chuckled dryly. Rin nodded and finally noticed Sousuke holding the girl.

"I'm sure your parents will understand when you explain this to them. An ambulance will come for you and your daughter very shortly." The woman nodded and took her daughter from Sousuke's arms. The daughter was crying and saying that she was sorry but the mother held her tight and shushed her, telling her it was alright and that she did the right thing. Sousuke felt a stinging of tears in his eyes and got in the car before he could let himself break down.

An ambulance came and took the mother and child away. Sousuke watched from the passenger seat of the squad car and thought of Makoto and Shiori. What if Makoto was forced to marry someone who hurt him and their daughter? What if Makoto was still with a man like that? The wondering made him get a headache. They drove to the station where they booked the man and put him in a holding cell. Sousuke wanted to beat him up for harming a woman and being a threat to his step-daughter. Instead of doing something that would make his heart lighter, he just sat down and wrote up a report of what happened like always. Rin noticed Sousuke's strange behavior. It wasn't normal of Sousuke to go straight for the minors of the house or to choke up with tears and go to the car. The redhead sighed and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"They're fine Sousuke. They won't be abused by that guy ever again." Sousuke shook his head and stopped writing.

"I found out about my daughter, Rin. I got teary-eyed thinking about if something like what happened to that woman and child might have happened to Makoto and Shiori." Rin's eyes widened. The day has come. Sousuke found out about his daughter. Between the two, there used to be no secrets but Makoto told Rin to keep Shiori a secret from Sousuke. Rin sighed and looked at his hands.

"I knew I should have told you..."

"If you knew you should have, why didn't you?"

"He didn't want me telling you about the baby."

"Why?"

"...That's something you should be asking Makoto. He found out a couple weeks after you two broke up." Sousuke swallowed the lump that was in his throat. He remembered that. The look on Makoto's face. The tears coming from his eyes. The broken tone of his voice. Back then, Sousuke didn't care about what he did at all but when reality caught up with him and he realized what he lost, it was too late. He had already convinced himself that Makoto moved on and tried to get on with his own life. For the rest of the day, Souuske drifted through work while thinking of Makoto and their daughter and how they were after five years. everyone took note of how out of it Soususke was but he insisted he was fine but he really wasn't.

After work, Sousuke went home. Kisumi wasn't back yet which was great. He'd have more time to think about his situation. He had to get involved in his daughter's life. it was the right thing to do. Makoto would let him spend time with their daughter but what about their relationship? Would Makoto let him back into his heart? Sousuke sighed to himself and ran his hands through his hair.

"Why is this so confusing?"

"Why is what confusing?" A voice asked. Sousuke jumped and looked behind him to see Kisumi sporting a worried expression on his face. He shook his head.

"It's nothing you need to worry over." Kisumi sat down nextto him on the couch and grabbed his hand.

"You seem to forget that I am your boyfriend. Anything troubles and worries you have are mine too. So tell me, what is it?" He couldn't find it in himself to argue with Kisumi. Sousuke licked his lips and looked Kisumi in the eyes.

"I found out that I have a daughter." The worried expression on Kisumi's face turned to burning anger within seconds. The pink-haired male stood up and Sousuke followed suit.

Kisumi shouted, "How can you cheat on me?!"

"I never cheated on you!"

"Then how the fuck do you have a daughter?!"

"It happened five years ago with Makoto. I just found out today!" Kisumi shook his head and sat back down on the couch. Sousuke sat down on the coffee table. He could see Kisumi was furious. He was shaking and trying to fight off the tears that were coming on. After a few minutes of Kisumi calming himself down, he looked at SOusuke. In his purple orbs, Sousuke could see the unshed tears that wanted to come out.

"Did you ever meet the child?"

"Just once."

"I hope you savored that meeting because that is the last time you'll ever see her." Kisumi growled. Sousuke looked at him like he was crazy.

"Who are you to tell me that I can't see my daughter?"

"The one that doesn't want to have to share you with a little brat and someone who couldn't hold onto his man."

"I'm going to get involved in my daughter's life and you cannot stop me."

Kisumi dryly laughed, "Do you want to see the things I can do to stop you?" Sousuke rolled his eyes and stood up and grabbed his jacket. Kisumi stood up and ran to the door before Sousuke could run out.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"To see my daughter and confront her mother. Now get the fuck out of my way." Sousuke spat out venomously. He pushed past Kisumi and left the apartment, ignoring Kisumi's screams for him to come back and not to see his daughter. The please went ignored as Sousuke got in the car and drove off to the Tachibana residence.

* * *

"Shiori, be a good girl and drink your milk."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"It looks like paint!"

"It's good for you and it will help you grow big and strong like me!" Makoto flexed his muscles to show off. Shiori looked unimpressed and crossed her arms as she put her nose in the air.

"I still don't wanna drink my milk." Makoto sighed and facepalmed. This is like getting Haru out of a pool. There was no getting him out until Rin had to be involved. If only Nagisa were here... Makoto got an idea. He faked a sigh as he stood up.

"Fine. Don't drink your milk. You'll stay that short forever like Uncle Nagi." Makoto began to leave but a small hand grabbed his shirt. He looked behind him to see Shiori looking up at him with puppy eyes.

"Is that why Uncle Nagi is short?"

"Yes. He refused to drink his milk like you did and as a result, he never grew tall. Do you want to be short like Uncle Nagi?" Shiori shook her head vigorously as she grabbed her milk off the table and drank it. Makoto chuckled and watched her drink. He felt bad for using Nagisa in an attempt to drink her milk but it had to be done. There was a knock at the door. Makoto raised an eyerow and wondered who could be at the door. He left the kitchen and answered the door.

"Hello, how can I..."

The words died in Makoto's throat as he looked at who was standing in front of him. The man was wearing a police uniform and held a serious expression on his face. Makoto knew that look from anywhere, having seen it quite often. The day has come. He'd been dreading this day but it was foreseen. It was the day Sousuke found out about Shiori and he wanted to come into her life. Sousuke licked his lips.

"May I come in?" Makoto reluctantly nodded and moved aside for Sousuke to take off his shoes and come inside. They went to the living room and stood in the awkward silence. They didn't know what to say to each other. After five years, what can you say? "Hey, I know we haven't talked in five years but we have a daughter together!" Yea, that was someting Makoto could say. Sousuke sighed and stared Makoto int he eyes.

"So... it's been five years right?"

"That's right. How have you been?"

"Oh well, after graduation Rin and I joined the force and I got myself an apartment. You?"

"Fate had other plans in store for me..." The two stood in an embarrassing silence before Sousuke got on topic.

"Let's skip the awkward conversation. You and I both know why I'm here." Before Makoto could say a word, a small voice broke out.

"Mama, Mama! I drank all my milk!" Shiori cheered. The two men looked at the girl who was sporting a milk moustache. Makoto smiled and scooped his daughter up in his arms. He wiped off her moustache and kissed her forehead.

"That's my girl. Look, we have a visitor." The girl looked to Sousuke and smiled brightly.

"Sou-san!" Makoto raised an eyebrow and Sousuke chuckled.

"We met at the park when she was with Rin."

"I guess so. Sousuke, what did you come here for?"

"Makoto... is she my daughter?" Sousuke asked calmly as he looked from Makoto to the child in question.


	6. We Meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke and Makoto have a little discussion

"Makoto... is she my daughter?" Sousuke asked calmly as he looked from Makoto to the child in question. Shiori tilted her head in confusion as Makoto kept his gaze fixated on Sousuke.

"Yes, she is." Makoto put Shiori down and whispered something in her ear. When Makoto pulled away, the girl walked out of the room and up the stairs. Sousuke raised an eyebrow at his ex.

"I had the feeling we were going to yell at each other so I sent her out before we could start. How the hell did you find out about her?"

"I had Rei search Iwatobi General Hospital for birth records the day after I met Shiroi and Rin at the park. I confronted Rin and asked him if it were true and he confirmed that I have a daughter with you. The one thing I want to know is why you didn't tell me." Makoto looked like he was about to cry but he stopped himself from doing so as he threw a venomous look at Sousuke.

"Why? I didn't want to tell you because it was two weeks after we broke up and I was still mad at you!"

"Over something that happened five years ago?"

"Yes! Sousuke, what if you were deeply in love with a guy and you give him your virginity but then come to find out that he never loved you and that was all he was after? What if the one you fell in love with got you pregnant? How would you feel knowing that for the rest of your life you'll have a lifelong reminder of someone who wronged you? Would you want someone like that around you for nine months?" Sousuke didn't answer. When Makoto put it like that, Sousuke felt like a jerk and he should. He had one perfect chance with Makoto and he fucked it up, badly. Sousuke sighed and walked close to Makoto. He grabbed the brunette's hand and held it as he looked deep into emerald orbes which had tears threatening to fall.

"I'm sorry, Makoto. You were the best thing that ever happened to me and I was a fool to use you like that and let you go. I want to make things right and be in Shiori's life and I also want a second chance with you. I want to start all over and continue where we left off." Makoto looked at him in disbelief. He couldn't be serious. After five years of inner turmoil knowing that Sousuke only liked him for his body, how can he get back together with him? Makoto shook his head and gently pried Sousuke's hand off his.

"No. You've shattered my heart once before. How do I know you won't do it again?"

"I lost you once before, I won't make that mistake again."

"Sousuke..."

"Please. Give me a second chance."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"With me you get one chance and if you blow it, you blow it. There are no second chances. Not anymore."

Makoto had looked away from Sousuke, not wanting to make eye-contact. Sousuke gently grabbed his chin and turned Makoto to face him. Green eyes looked into teal and their faces got closer and closer until their lips finally met. Before Makoto could realize what was happening, he closed his eyes and slowly melted into the kiss. Sousuke wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him closer. They stayed like that for a few precious moments as Makoto came to his senses and broke the kiss. Makoto breathed heavily and smacked Sousuke in the face. Sousuke slightly stumbled back and felt his cheek. He looked at Makoto with questioning eyes and tried to figure out why he would smack him. FInally, Makoto let out a choked sob and covered his mouth before he began to cry.

"I wish you hadn't done that."

"You still love me, don't you?" Makoto didn't look at him nor say a word. Sousuke swallowed the lump in his throat and took Makoto's other hand into his own.

"We love each other, Makoto. You can't deny that. If you didn't love me anymore then you would have pushed me away the moment our lips touched. You would have slammed the door in my face. If you didn't love me anymore then you would have told me to stay the hell away from you and our daughter. Why can't we have a second chance?"

"Leave."

"Huh?"

"Just leave, Sousuke. I... I need to think."

"But Mako-"

"Please. Just go away." Without another word, Sousuke left. Makoto backed up against a wall and slid down as he cried. Why? Why did Sousuke have to show up? Why did they kiss? Memories of Sousuke were swimming around his head. Makoto tangled his hand in his hair as he cried, wanting the moments that he'll never get back to go away forever. His heart felt heavy as he thought of every sweet nothing they whispered to each other and every promise of forever they made. Once Makoto had calmed himself down, he stood up and went to go upstairs but when he did he saw Shiori standing at the top of the stairs.

"How much did you hear?"

"All of it. Is Sou-san my papa?" Makoto sighed heavily. There was no use lying to her after after she heard everything.

"Yes, yes he is."

"Did Papa hurt your heart again?"

"No, baby. My memories with Papa hurt my heart."

"Why?"

"It's complicated. Ask me again in ten years, ok?" Shiori nodded and went down the stairs as she hugged her mother's leg. Makoto smiled and pat her head as he thought of the only good thing that came out of having a relationship with Sousuke.

"I love you, Mama."

"I love you too." Makoto replied, "Hey, what do you say we go to the park for a little while?" Shiori nodded and put her shoes on. The brunette smiled as he put is coat on and got Shiori into her coat with her favorite scarf. They leftt he house and went to the park where Shiori made a run for the playground. Makoto sat down on a bench and watched Shiori play. There was a big smile on her face as she ran around. It made Makoto forget about what just happened and remember what's important in his life. He felt like everything was fine, like everything was oing to be alright.

"Makoto?" A familiar voice asked. Makoto looked up to see his other ex, Mikoshiba Seijuurou. They dated for a year but things didn't work out between them. Seijuurou didn't want to be burdened with taking care of someone else's baby. Makoto was left heartbroken yet again by someone he thought actually cared about him. Seijuurou sat next to him and looked to where Shiori was.

"She really grew. Last time I saw her she was a tiny little thing."

"Yea. How have you been these last four years?"

"I've been good. I became a swim coach. You still working at the coffee shop?"

"Still working there."

"Makoto... why didn't we work out?"

"The fact that I have a daughter overwhelmed you and you said and I quote: 'This is too much, I went into this relationship with you, not your daughter.'" He mumbled as he thought about that night. He and Seijuurou had gotten into another arguement over the baby when the redhead sai he couldn't take it anymore, said those words, and left. Sei licked his lips and nodded.

"I did say that, didn't I?"

"You did."

Sei chuckled, "You're funny. How about you and I go out for a night of fun? The two of us just hanging out." Makoto shrugged.

"I don't know..."

"C'mon, even you need a night of fun away from your kid. Just leave her with your parents and we can go to a movie."

"Can I think about it?"

"Yea. I gotta go. See you around!" Just like that, Sei left. Makoto sighed and looked back to the playground. Shiori was still in the same place she was when he was talking to Sei. Was today 'old ex-boyfriends pop up everywhere' day? Makoto kept watching her like a hawk until she got bored and Makoto had to carry her home.

* * *

Sousuke sat in the car, just dreading the moment he would have to walk back into the apartment and endure Kisumi's wrath. He didn't see what was so bad about seeing his daughter and trying to get into her life. Kisumi was just jealous. He wanted Sousuke for himself. His phone vibrated again. He picked it up and checked it. Another message from Kisumi telling him to get his ass home. Sosuke growled and nearly tossed his phone out the window. This just made Sousuke's blood boil. He was so finished with his pink-haired lover. Sousuke got out of the car and walked inside, preparing for the ugliest fight in his life.

When he walked inside the apartment, his face almost came into contact with a blender. He ducked out of the way in time and looked to see a pissed off pinkette. Kisumi's face was red, his face held the anger it did when he left, and he had a drink in his hand. Sousuke slammed the door and picked up the broken blender and threw it in the trash. They looked at each other and there were deadly glares in each gaze. Silence was between the two as they stared each other down. Finally, Kisumi took a swig of whiskey and slammed the glass on the table.

"Where the fuck were you?" He asked.

"I went to talk to Makoto and I saw my daughter again."

"After I told you that you weren't allow to..."

"I am a grown man and I will do whatever the hell I please."

"No the hell you cannot. You devoted your life to me and I refuse to share you with a snot-nosed brat and a ghost from your past!"

"Makoto used to be your friend, what happened to that?"

"Things change. Now I'm going to say this, you will never see your daughter again so long as you wanna stay with me." Sousuke shook his head. He can't just pop in his daughter's life then pop right back out,

"She is my daughter, Kisumi. I have to take responsibility for my actions and take care of her like I should have been doing for the last five years. You can't do shit to stop me."

"Oh yes I can."

"How would you do that?"

"An ultimatum. Your daughter and that ghost or me." Sousuke rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. Make a choice? Oh hell yea he will make a choice. He grabbed Kisumi's suitcases and clothes. He tossed articles of clothing haphazardly into the suitcase. When all of Kisumi's things were in there, he zipped it up and walked out of the bedroom with it. Kisumi looked at him with questioning eyes as he watched Sousuke open the door and threw it outside.

"I choose my daughter now if you don't like it, you can get the fuck out of my apartment and never come back." Sousuke growled as he pointed to the door.

Kisumi screamed and began to throw glasses everywhere. Sousuke successfully dodged each glass that came his way. When Kisumi ran out of glass he began to cry as he got his coat and shoes. He grabbed his suitcase and left. Sousuke slammed the door after his and sighed as he got to cleaning up the broken glass. Now he has to buy new glass as well as set up the spare bedroom for Shiori. Sousuke's heart didn't feel too heavy about breaking up with Kisumi. He had his last straw with him and was fed up. Sousuke finished up with the glass and threw the shards away. As he finished, he got out a scarpbook Makoto made for their five-month anniversary. As he flipped through the pages, he saw each happy memory with Makoto. The one picture that made him cry was the last one which was of them kissing. Makoto took the picture and when Sousuke asked him about it, he just giggled and said he wanted to capture that moment.

* * *

"Is that a picture of you and Papa?" Shiori asked as Makoto showed her a scarpbook with pictures of himself and Sousuke. The man nodded as he smiled at the fond memory that picture counted.

"Yes. We were just sitting on the grass in the park when we kissed. I pulled the camera out and took a picture."

"What's this one?" The child asked as she pointed to a picture of Makoto standing in front of a bunch of cherry trees with the petals falling down.

"Papa and I were walking through the park when we passed by some cherry blossom trees. He suddenly stoped and told me to step back into the falling petals. He took my camera and told me to pose so he could take a picture of me. After he told me to stop posing, I asked him why he took it. He smiled at me and told me that I looked beautiful with the petals surrounding me."

"Papa sounds like he was very nice!"

"He is. Now it's getting late, time for you to get to bed." Shiori groaned and got in the bed. Makoto put the pictures away and tucked Shiori into bed as she fell asleep. Makoto took out the picture of him and Sousuke kissing. He smiled sadly at the memory. Back then he had given Sousuke his heart and he was used. Sousuke asked him for a second chance. How could Makoto give him a second chance when Sousuke broke his heart in pieces once already? Could he even give Sousuke a second chance? Makoto kissed the picture and put it back as he laid in the bed and fell asleep, thinking about Sousuke and if he should give yheir relationship another chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't leave the chapter on a cliff hanger this time! It's finals week for me and that means I won't be able to write up the next chapter for a couple days since I'll be busy studying. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Wish me luck!


	7. Do What's Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto thinks about giving Sousuke a second chance

Sousuke woke up the next morning. The bed was empty and he knew why. Last night he broke up with Kisumi. Surprisingly he didn't have a bitter taste in his mouth nor did he feel remorse for breaking up with him. Kisumi was trying to run his life and control him. If there was one thing Sousuke hated, it was someone trying to control his life. No one wants to be controlled by someone and they are controlled, it happens so subtely no one even notices or they do and they just sit back and take it because they're scared of what could happen to them. Sousuke got out of bed and began to get ready for the day. After he got out of the shower the made himself a little breakfast and ate his fill until he left.

When he got to the office, he was greeted with the same scene of people moving and walking everywhere. Sousuke went to his desk and went straight to work. As he worked his mind wandered to Makoto and what happened last night. He couldn't blame Makoto for kicking him out. The last time they saw each other, it was under bitter circumstances. After they broke up, Sousuke was happy tht he got what he wanted but he hadt the feeling he was missing something in his life and couldn't put it together until he got with Kisumi. He realized what he got rid of and felt like a fool. By the time he realized, he was already in a relationship and convinced himself Makoto had gotten over him but last night had proved Makoto wasn't over him.

One thing Sousuke couldn't get past was how Makoto reacted when they kissed. They was he kissed back made Sousuke feel like they were teenagers again. It was as if Sousuke had gone back in time and experienced their first kiss again. When Makoto pushed him back he felt as if he had been rejected. Seeing Makoto's tears and hearing him sob made him think of the day they broke up. An uncomfortable feeling coiled up in his stomach as he felt guilt. Sousuke wanted a second chance with Makoto but the brunette seems to have trust issues at the moment. How could Sousuke convince him that he wouldn't hurt him again? Sousuke groaned to himself as he put his head down on his desk.

"Oi, Sousuke." The cop didn't even bother to look up at Rin. He heard something lightly hit his desk and an office chair sliding.

"Don' even talk t' me, Matsuoka. 'M havin' a bad mornin'."

"You confronted Makoto last night?" Sousuke nodded and sat up.

"Yea... and I broke up with Kisumi."

"Why?"

"He tried to tell me what to do. Before I went to pay a visit to Makoto, I told Kisumi I had a daughter. He yelled at me and accused me of cheating on him. I told him Shiori was from a past relationship and he told me that when I saw her I hoped I liked spending the day with her because I was never going to see her ever again. I got pissed at him for trying to tell me not to get involved in my daughter's life and I left. After I came back, he threw a blender at me then we got into a small fight over me wanted to spend time with my daugter again and he gave me an ultimatum: Shiori or him. I packed his things and threw them out the door, he went fucking nuts and threw glass everywhere then left me to clean up the mess." Sousuke explained as he did his paperwork. He could fel RIn staring at him with a worried expression.

"If you're wondering if he hit me with anything, I ducked everything he threw at me."

"It's not that its..."

"What?"

"You don't seem bothered at all by having to break up with Kisumi. In fact, you seem kind of happy to break up with him." Did he sound happy? He hadn't meant to sound happy about it. Sousuke shrugged and drank some coffee.

"Kisumi and I were having relationship problems. It was inevitable right?" Rin nodded along with him but didn't dare say more. The two worked in silence, not one word to each other.

* * *

"-chan... Mako-chan!" Makoto yelped as he was brought out of his thoughts. He looked at Nagisa who was looking at him with a worried expression. The brunette almost forgot where he was but when he looked at his surroundings he was in the back of the coffee shop taking his break. He sighed to himself and ran a hand through his hair.

"Sorry Nagisa... I guess I was thinking a little bit too hard."

"About what?"

"It's kind of a long story but..." Makoto explained what happend the previous night. By the end of the explanation, Nagisa's cheeks were puffed in in anger and his face was red. The blond grabbed the nearest sharp objected and held it in the air.

"That's it, tonight is the night bitches die!" The taller man stood up and grabbed Nagisa before he could leave with the knife. Not only would the customers feel threatened but he and Nagisa could get fired. Makoto took the knife from his friend who was fuming mad.

"Calm down before you get the both of us fired!" The brunette scolded. Nagisa took a few deep breaths and paced himself.

"I'm sorry Mako-chan but he had the audacity of asking you for a second chance! Doesn't that piss you off?"

"Yes but what am I supposed to do?"

"Tell him to fuck off and kick his ass out."

"Nagisa..."

"Do you even want to give him a second chance?"

Makoto opened his mouth but shut himself up before he could say anything. That question again. Does he want to give Sousuke a second chance? He didn't quite know how to answer that question. He wanted Sousuke back more than anything in the world but he was scared that Sousuke would break his heart again. When Sousuke broke up with him the first time it left a scar on his heart that never quite began to heal. Heck, now that Makoto thought about it, his heart never learned to heal. It's still broken into pieces and the pieces themselves had been scattered everywhere. Makoto buried his face in his hands and sighed.

"I don't know. I mean, I don't want my heart to be broken by him again but at the same time I miss him and I want him back more than anything in the world..."

"What about Shi-chan?"

"I have to do what's best for her, right? For the moment it's letting her and her father have that father-daughter bonding time they missed out on."

"But are you doing what's best for both of you?" Makoto froze. Was he doing what was best for him? He knew that with being a parent, he has to make sacrifices for his daughter and, at the moment, one of those sacrifices was getting along with Sousuke. From the other side of the door he could hear some customers complaining. Makoto took a deep breath and put on his best smile.

"Let's not talk about that. The customers are gtting restless." With that, Makoto was out of the door and began to take orders. For the rest of the day the shop was busier than ususal and Makoto was doing his best not to lose his mind in all the orders with little to no mix-ups. By closing time, Nagisa was cleaning up and Makoto was cleaning the cups. Suddenly, Nagisa stopped and looked at Makoto.

"Nee, Mako-chan, you never answered my question. Are you doing what's best for you and Shi-chan?" The brunette paused and frowned to himself.

"You know I am. I know it doesn't seem like it but at the moment, this is the best I can do." There was a knock at the door and the two employees looked up to see Seijuurou sporting his usual goofy grin. Nagisa waved and Makoto blushed a little. Out of all people to pop up now, why did it have to be Seijuurou?! Makoto sighed and put the last cup down as the red-haired man entered the shop.

"What are you doing here?" Makoto asked as Seijuurou came up to the counter and flashed his lady-killer grin.

"I was nearby and I remembered it was closing time here so I figured I'd walk you home like I used to."

"Mako-chan, why didn't you tell me you two got back together!" Nagisa whined. Makoto blushed more and shook his head.

"We're not back togehter!" The other two laughed at Makoto as he put the cups away and stacked all the to-go cups. Makoto put his jacket on and walked out telling Nagisa to lock up for the night. Seijuurou followed him and once he caught up with him, hld his hand. Makoto took his hand away and kept walking. The two walked in silence until Makoto stopped and turned around to face his ex.

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you back in my life all of a sudden? Why are you acting like we're dating again? Why?"

"I want you back." He answered, plain and simple. Makoto was taken aback. First Sousuke says he wants him back and now Seijuurou is saying it. Why must fate torment him so?

"No. I'm not coming back."

"Why not?"

"Do I have to remind you why we broke up in the first place? You couldn't deal with the fact that I had a daughter so you left and never came back! Why do you want me back?"

"I realized what I gave up." The older man replied as he walked up to him and wrapped his arms around Makoto's waist as he pulled their bodies close together. Makoto blushed and looked up into his eyes. Seijuurou's face got closer and closer until their lips touched. Unlike what happened with Sousuke, Makoto pushed him back and stepped away. He couldn't believe him. He was kissed by his ex, again. As if his body were moving on its own, Makoto turned around and began to walk home ignoring Seijuurou's cries for him to come back.

Makoto reached his home and got in. Once he did, three bodies came into contact with him like usual. He smiled and pat their heads as he picked up Shiori and carried her into the living room. Shiori clung to her mother as he sat down and put her in his lap.

"How was your day?"

"It was great, Mama! I saw Papa on my way to school with Haru-chan!"

"Did you say hi to Papa?"

"Hai! He smiled then offered to take me to school but then Haru-chan said no and then Papa said something to Haru-chan that I couldn't hear and picked me up then carried me to school!" She beamed. Makoto smiled and took notice of her mood. Shiori seemed happier than she usually was. Makoto guessed it was because her father was finally in her life.

"Shi-chan, can I ask you something?"

"Hai."

"How would you like to spend the night with him this weekend?" When Makoto said that, Shiori's eyes lit up.

"Really?!"

"Or course but I have to ask Papa first." The child nodded enthusiastically and hugged Makoto. He hugged back and let go once his mother called everyone for dinner. This was just fine for him. Sousuke was in their daughter's life and that's more than enough for Makoto... yet why did he feel like something was missing?

* * *

Sousuke yawned a little as he put the glass away in his cabinets. Sousuke made a stop at a store that sold glass to replace everything Kisumi broke in his rampage last night. Now that Sousuke thought about it, he could have broken up with him in a nicer way but what's done is done. He put away the last of the glass and went to go to his room but then the phone rang. Groaning to himself he turned right around and picked up the phone with a growl.

"Whoever this is talk or I hang the fuck up."

 _"Sousuke! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"_ Makoto gasped. Sousuke internally growled when he realized it was Makoto. he hadn't meant to snap like that.

"Sorry... I'm just really tired and want to go to bed. What is it? Is Shiori ok?"

_"She's fine, I just sent her to bed. I wanted to ask you something."_

"What is it?"

 _"I'm going to hang out with a friend this weekend and Shiori said she wanted to spend a night at your place. Can she?"_ Sousuke smiled.

"Of course she can. What time do you want me to pick her up?"

_"About 5:30 should be good enough."_

"I'll see you then. I love you." Sousuke could hear the pause on the other side of the phone. There was a little shifting noise before Makoto answered again.

 _"Bye, Sousuke."_ The dial tone sounded and Sousuke hung up and put the phone back. There was definitely a hesitation. A sigh came from his lips as he walked to his bedroom and got in bed. He had to show Makoto he was worthy of his trust, even if he was repeatedly rejected. _I'll win your heart back, Makoto. I promise._ Sousuke thought at he closed his eyes and fell asleep.


	8. Beginning of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto is doubting himself and the decisions he made, Haru comforts him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

"Got everything you wanted to bring with you?"

"Yes Mama."

"Now remember, since you're at Papa's house you have to follow his rules, got it?"

Shiori nodded, "Got it!"

"Good. Now we play the waiting game." Makoto said as he sat on the ground next to Shiori. Tonight Shiori was spending the night at her father's house while Makoto was going to hang out with Haru tonight. He figured that since Shiori was going to spend the night with her father, Makoto was going to have a sleepover with Haru like they used to. Sousuke came by and Shiori got up and ran to him. He smiled as he bent down to her level and hugged her.

"Papa!"

"Hey there, ready to go?"

"Hai! Bye Mama!" Shiori said as he waved to Makoto. He smiled and waved back as the two went off.

The smile on his face left as he got up and walked to Haru's house. On the way over Makoto thought about what Haru would have to say about this. He was contradicting himself. He said that he was going to raise his child by himself and not trust Sousuke ever again and what happens? He is in the beginnings of co-parenting and he trusts Sousuke with their daughter. He was such a mess it wasn't even funny. Makoto got to Haru's house and rang the door bell. There was no answer so he rang it again. Still, there was no answer. He mentally sighed as he rang the bell again. His patience was wearing thin as he waited. Haru must be soaking in the bath. Again. Makoto took out his key and let himself in, not wanting to wait for Haru anymore.

When he walked in, the house was empty, close to looking abandoned. Weird. Haru said he would be here. Makoto went around the house checking every room. He was about to give up the search and watch TV until Haru came back until he heard a scream coming from Haru's room. Makoto instinctively ran to Haru's room and was not prepared for the visual that met him. Haru and Rin were in bed. Together. Rin was laying down on the bed and Haru was riding him. They were both covered in sweat and the smell of sex was strongly dangling through the air. Rin, who had his eyes closed, opened his eyes and noticed Makoto. He smirked and squeezed Haru's ass which resulted in the black-haired man moaning RIn's name and riding him harder.

"Like the show, Makoto?" As soon as Haru heard that, he stopped riding Rin and looked at his best friend.

"Makoto... hi."

"Um, should I wait downstairs?"

"No! We still have time to make this a threesome!" Rin added in but grunted when Haru pulled his hair.

"Wait downstairs, we'll be done in about twenty minutes." Makoto nodded and left the room.

Haru and Rin looked at each other as Haru began riding RIn again. Moans and pants were heard around the room as their surroundings got hotter by the second. Haru put his hands on Rin's chest and rode him harder. Rin moaned and put his hands on Haru's hips and thrusted upwards. A scream came from Haru's lips as he felt Rin his his prostate, hard. A smirk formed on the shark's lips as he thrusted upwards again, loving the reaction he was getting from his boyfriend. They looked at each other with the love they had for each other showing. Haru smiled and bent down to kiss Rin. He happily kissed back as he held onto Haru as he thrusted faster, reaching his climax. Haru could tell that Rin was at his limit and rode him faster.

"Babe, I'm close!"

"Cum inside of me, Rin~ FIll me with your seed!"

That was enough to send Rin over the edge as he came inside of Haru. The feeling of Rin filling him up made Haru cum on Rin's stomach and chest. They both panted as they looked at each other and shared a tender kiss. When they broke apart, Haru slid off of Rin the two began to clean themselves off. Once they were fully dressed, Haru limped out of the room. Rin chuckled seeing what he had done to his boyfriend. He followed Haru down the stairs and went to the door. As Rin put his shoes on, Haru hugged him from behind.

"Don't make me have to come down there and kill someone."

Rin laughed, "You won't have to. Just have fun, ok?"

"Ok." Haru gave Rin a peck on the cheek and let go of him. The redhead turned around and kissed Haru's nose before walking out the door. As soon as his boyfriend was out of sight, Haru closed the door and went to the living room where Makoto was blankly staring at nothing.

"Makoto."

No answer.

"Makoto!"

No answer.

"*sigh* Macutie Tachibooty." Makoto turned around and looked at Haru.

"Oh, sorry Haru. I didn't hear you walk in..."

"You were thinking too hard to notice. What's going on with you?" He asked in his usual dull tone. Makoto didn't know where to begin. There were so many places to begin from but where was the right place? Though Makoto wasn't directly looking his way, he felt Haru's burning stare on him. He was used to it but there were sometimes when it was downright scary and that moment was now. Finally, Makoto let his guard down and ran a hand through his hair.

"My life has gotten so... crazy. First, Sousuke finds out about Shiori and begs me for a second chance then Seijuurou pops up after four years and says he wants me back! To top it all off, I'm letting my daughter near the bastard I don't trust anymore... I'm such a mess!" Makoto hit his head on the table as Haru pat his back in comfort.

"There, there Makoto..."

"Haru, what's wrong with me?"

"It sounds like you're trying to do what's best for your daughter. Tell me, if you don't trust Sousuke anymore, why is Shiori spending the night with him?"

"I-I-I... I don't know. I'm trying to do what's best for Shiori and now it's letting her spend time with her father. While I don't trust Sousuke, the least I can do for not letting him know about his daughter is letting them spend time together."

Maybe that's why he let Shiori near Sousuke. Guilt. The guilt of keeping Shiori a secret from her father ate at him. Deep down he felt ashamed of himself for not telling Sousuke and denying Shiori her father. He had reasoned with himself that he was saving himself from heartache but the more he reasoned with himself the more guilty he felt. When Sousuke confronted him, he felt relieved of the guilt that comes with keeping secrets but then a new sense of guilt arised. The new guilt was the fact that they didn't really spend time with each other and the way for Makoto to relieve himself of this guilt was to let them have the father-daughter time they missed out on. Makoto groaned as he hit his head on the table again.

"Dammit why am I such a fool?! I let my emotions get the best of me again!"

"What do you mean?"

"Guilt. That's why Shiori is spending time with her father. I felt guilty for not letting Sousuke know about her nd denying a child her father. Once again my emotions made a decision for me..." Haru did something uncharacteristic and hugged Makoto from behind. The brunette stopped brooding and gasped a little in suprise.

"You aren't not a fool, Makoto. You were thinking about what was best for your daughter and there's nothing wrong with that."

Makoto scoffed, "Tell that to my emotions turned decision makers..."

"All of your decisions were based off of what was best for Shiori. Raising her as a single parent, working full-time at a coffee shop to save up for a place of your own, surrounding her with people who care for her, all of that was because you love your daughter and you wanted her to be happy. Now tell me, is it such a bad thing you let your emotions make your decisions?"

"When you put it that way... I guess not. Haru, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why were you and Rin having sex when I came in?" At the moment, Haru let go of Makoto and a blush dusted across his face. He had almost forgotten that Makoto walked in on them. Instead of providing an answer right away, the ravenette just put his hands on his stomach. Makoto's eyes widened as he put the pieces together.

"You're a carrier too?"

"N-no... At least I don't think..."

"Then why...?"

"Rin and I were trying to see if I was. Before you came here we were talking and he mentioned he wanted a baby that had my hair, his eyes, my nose, his teeth... I scoffed and said he was dreaming and that I couldn't carry children like you. He asked me if I knew that for sure and I went silent. Then he said 'Hey, why don't we just try it?' I went along with it thinking there was a little hope I could bear children." A small smile came on Haru's face as he explained. Makoto smiled at him and put a hand on Haru's shoulder.

"You'll make a great parent. You're already a good godfather to my baby." Haru nodded and went into the kitchen.

"We're having a sleepover like the old days right? I'll pop the popcorn, you put in a movie."

Makoto nodded and went to the collection of DVD's Haru had. He looked at the choices there were and raised an eyebrow when a certain movie title caught his eye. He took it out and looked at it then raised an eyebrow when he saw the title. Haru actually bought this movie?

"You have Boys Love?" He called out. Haru came out of the kitchen and peaked over Makoto's shoulder.

"Oh yea, Rin got his hands on it and made me watch it with him."

"I never got a chance to see it, is it any good?"

"Some parts get a little disturbing but other than that, it's good."

"How does it end?"

"...Lets just say it ends on a sad note."

The microwave beeped which meant Haru had to get it and Makoto put the movie in. They both sat in front of the TV as the movie started. During the movie, Makoto cried while Haru kept himself in control, despite shedding a few tears as well. At the end of the movie, Makoto was a sobbing mess while Haru was silently crying. The movie had ended with one of them dead and the other commiting suicide by going into the ocean with his lover's body. To summarize, the movie ended with death. Haru turned the television off and wiped his tears away.

"I forgot how sad the ending was..."

"That was heartbreaking!" Makoto cried.

After they took some time to calm down from getting stabbed in the feels, they went outside to look at the stars to take their mind off the movie. Haru stared blankly into space while Makoto tried to point out the constellations but wasn't having much luck. As he stared at the stars, a certain memory stirred up. He closed his eyes and let the memory play out.

* * *

~Flashback Sequence: Activated

Time: Five Years Ago~

* * *

_Makoto and Sousuke were outside lying on the grass and staring up at the stars. Makoto managed to sneak out of the house while Sousuke got Rin to cover from him so he could sneak out of the dorm. They met at the park and picked a spot where they could see the stars. The sky looked like a dark blanket with millions of little lights covering said blanket. Sousuke had Makoto on his chest as they sat in silence. Suddenly, a shooting star came by. Makoto quickly made a wish. When he was done he looked up at Sousuke._

_"What did you wish for?" Sousuke jumped a little and looked at Makoto._

_"Huh?"_

_"A shooting star flew by. I made a wish, didn't you?"_

_"No, I guess I didn't see it..." Makoto pouted and looked up at the sky again. Sousuke buried his face in his hair and kissed Makoto's scalp._

_"But still, I want to hear what you wished for."_

_Makoto smiled, "I wished for us to be together forever."_

_"Why did you have to wish for something like that? You know we'll be together forever." Makoto smiled at his words and kissed his boyfriend, unaware that those sweet words were nothing but a cruel lie._

* * *

Makoto opened his eyes. Out of all memories, why that particular one? He continued to stare at the sky until a shooting star came by. The brunette didn't even bother to make a wish. The last time that happened his wish didn't come true and he ended up getting heart broken. He sighed to himself as he though about his exes. Why now? Why do they want him back after breaking his heart? Seijuurou was just a stroke of bad luck coming back to haunt him but Sousuke was the real enigma. His first love. The one who was his first kiss. The one who took his virginity. The father of his child. Makoto was caught in the crossfire of wanting to give Sousuke a second chance and take him back but at the same time he felt like he shouldn't give him a second chance and he felt like Sousuke hadn't changed at all. A heavy sigh left his lips. Why was this so damn complicated?

"Makoto, are you okay?" The brunette was broken out of his thoughts as he turned to look at Haru who was sporting a little worried look on his face. Makoto hated to make people worry about him and he especially hated to make Haru worried. He put on his best smile.

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry. Wanna order a pizza?" He beamed as he stood up and went inside. Unfortunately, he didn't convince Haru well enough. After he ordered the pizza he put the phone down and too a deep breath as his previous thoughts came back to him.

"Let your heart decide." A voice behind him stated. Makoto jumped and whipped around to see Haru standing behind him. He calmed himself down before he answered Haru.

"It's obvious that you have an inner conflict that needs to be resolved. When the time comes, let your heart decide. Don't be afraid of where its decision leads you."

"But what if it stears me wrong again?"

"It won't." Makoto was about to say something but he closed his mouth. Would his heart lead him down a road that wouldn't hurt him? Would his heart lead him back to Sousuke or Seijuurou? Many questions filled his mind as he thought about his situation more. This wasn't going to be an easy road...

* * *

"Papa?" A child's voice muttered. Sousuke opened his eyes and sat up in bed as Shiori walked to him. In the matter of hours they spent together, they watched movies, played board games, ate some pizza, amd played for video games. After dinner and a bath, Sousuke put her to bed. He went to bed himself and began to fall asleep but then Shiori came in. Speaking of the child, she came to his bedside and looked at him with her eyes filled with tears threatening to fall out. On instinct, Sousuke picked her up and put her in his lap.

"Are you ok?" Shiori wordlessly shook her head and cuddled into her father's chest.

"I had a nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about it?" When he asked that he immediately regret letting those words come out of his mouth because the girl began to shake as her lips trembled and she finally began to sob. Sousuke began to shush her and comfort her as he gently rocked her.

"Shh. Don't cry its just a dream, honey. Whatever was in your dream won't hurt you. I'll protect you."

"P-promise?" She sniffled.

"I promise." He smiled as he continued to rock her to sleep. Shiori began to calm down and eventualy stopped crying altogether. All was silent between the daughter and father until Shiori closed her eyes.

"Papa, can you tell me a story?"

"Oh, uh, I don't really know a good story but I'll try. Once upon a time there was an evil queen who was obsessed with beauty and would consult a magical mirror on a daily basis, asking it who was the fairest in the land. The mirror always replied that she was the fairest in the land. It made the queen happy to know she was the fairest and as long as the mirror said, "With riches in hand and a castle grand, you, my queen, are the fairest in the land," everyone was free from the queen's wrath. One day, the queen consulted her mirror like she did. The mirror's reply was different from the previous answers, "My queen, I wish I could tell you what you wanted to know but I am afraid I must speak true with an honest blow, your ranking as the fairest in the land has gone low." The queen was outraged and demanded to know who was the fairest to only find out that it was her step-daughter, Snow White, that had surpassed her.

"The queen was outraged that her own enemy was living in her castle. She knew that to be the fairest in the land, Snow White had to meet an untimely end. The queen called a huntsman and tasked him with killing the princess and putting her heart in a box. The huntsman accepted his task and took the princess far away from the kingdom and prepared to end her but he had a change of heart and instead told her to run away and never return while he fooled the queen with a pig's heart. The girl ran in the woods until she came across a cute little cottage. She went inside and cleaned it, seeing as it was very dirty and when she was finished, she went up the stairs to see seven little beds and slept in one. Unknown to her, there were seven little men coming home. They found the princess and listened to her story. The seven dwarfs let her stay in exchange she cooked and cleaned for them. The princess agreed to the arrangement and started her life with the little men.

"The queen, thinking she had gotten rid of Snow White, went to her mirror and asked again who was the fairest in the land. The mirror once again said that the queen was no longer fair and that Snow White surpassed her. Furious to learn he had been tricked, she desguised herself as a peasant woman and poisoned an apple. On the outside, the apple looked delicious but if one were to take a bite they would be plunged into a deep slumber that was close to death. She went ot the house where her daughter was and tricked her into eating the apple. When the dwarfs came home they were too late. Snow White was gone. They didn't want to bury her so she was sealed in a glass coffin. One day a prince was coming by and noticed the coffin. He lifted off the cover and gave her a sweet and simple kiss. She woke up and the prince that had kissed her asked for her hand in marriage and took her to his castle to be married. The end." By the time Sousuke was done, Shiori had fallen asleep. He didn't know where he lost her or when she began to fall asleep but that didn't matter. She was asleep again and whatever nightmare she had was chased away. The man stood up and carried his daughter to the guest room. He gently put her in and pulled the blankets up on her and tucked her in. He walked back to his room and got in bed, falling asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Sousuke woke up to the sound of his alarm blaring. He groaned and slammed his fist on the snooze button. He sat up and yawned as he stretched and took his alarm clock in his hands. The time read 7:24. _7:24?!_ Sousuke was suddenly awake and jumping out of bed. Makoto was going to be here in one hour and six minutes! If he didn't get Shiori up and ready by 8:30, he was going to die! He went into the guest room and gently woke Shiori up from her slumber. The child groaned and didn't budge.

"C'mon, honey, Mama's gonna kill me if you're not ready by the time he gets here..." Sousuke murmured as he continued to gently wake her up. Finally, Shiori woke up with a loud groan.

"Too early Papa!"

"I know it is but you have to get up. Mama will be here soon and I don't feel like being lectured this early in the morning." Shiori pouted but got out of bed and, with her father's help, began to get ready for the day. By the time she was dressed, Sousuke had made breakfast and they sat down and ate. Shiori suddenly put her utensil down and looked at her father.

"Why don't you and Mama live together?"

Sousuke slightly choked on his food as he looked at his little girl. Her green eyes were looking deep into his soul, just asking him to answer the question with the utmost honesty. In the back of Sousuke's mind he wanted to lie to her but taking a look into the eyes of an innocent child he couldn't do such a thing. He swallowed what was in his throat before he answered.

"Mama and I haven't been on good terms for a while now. You see, before you were born I did some things and hurt Mama very badly (which is why I didn't find out I had a daughter until now...)."

"Why?"

"I was stupid back then. Why is this coming up all of a sudden?"

"The other kids in class say that their mamas and papas live together." She said in pure innocence.

At her age, Shiori didn't quite understand the very complicated reason why her parents weren't together but her childhood curiosity made her want to find out why. Sousuke didn't know how to reply to that. He didn't even know what to think. On a daily basis, his daughter was surrounded by children who were in normal households and then there was Shiori. She lived with her mother's family and didn't know her father too well. Sousuke was speechless. He knows that if he didn't use Makoto for his sexual gain, a very different scene would be playing out. There was a knock at the door and Sousuke got up to answer it. He opened the door to see Makoto behind it.

"Mama!" Shiori beamed as she ran from the table to her mother's arms. Makoto picked her up and smiled.

"Hey there Shi-chan. How was your stay?"

"It was fun! Papa and I watched movies and had pizza!"

Makoto chuckled, "Sounds like you and Papa had a good time."

"Yea! Can the three of us have a sleepover one day?" Makoto and Sousuke looked at each other. Neither of them wanted to say it but with the way things were between them, it wasn't a good idea.

"We'll see." Makoto whispered. Sousuke nodded and got her bag from the other room then handed it off to Makoto. The brunette took it in his hands and flashed a smile at Sousuke then left. As Makoto walked away from Sousuke's apartment, Kisumi was coming up the stairs. The two caught sight of each other and paused. Kisumi smiled at him and Makoto smiled back while Shiori stayed silent, not knowing what to make of the pinkette.

"Ah, Makoto! How long has it been?"

"About five years! How have you been?"

"Oh you know, same old, same old. Graduated high school, went to college, got a job. You?"

"Graduated high school, got a job at a coffee shop, had a baby. Say hi to Kisumi, little one." Makoto nudged his daughter a little.

"K-konichiwa Kisumi-san..." She greeted timidly. Kisumi chuckled and pinched her cheeks a little.

"She's so cute! I'd love to stay and catch up with you but I have to go to Sousuke's apartment, I left something there."

"Okay, I have a shift in an hour so I should get going too. Bye Kisumi!" Makoto waved as he walked away.

Kisumi waved until Makoto and Shiori were out of sight then flipped the bird in their direction. "Asshole..." Kisumi mumbled as he walked to Sousuke's apartment and used his key to get in. Sousuke pulled out his gun when he heard the door open and pointed it at his ex.

"Don't shoot!" Kisumi yelled in fear. Sousuke rolled his eyes and put his gun away.

"What are you doing back here?" The pinkette smirked and closed the door as he walked up to the cop.

"I was thinking about it and I realized I was being unfair so I came to apologize and maybe move back in~?" He seductively purred as he rubbed all over Sousuke. The darker haired man backed away from his touch.

"No. I meant it when I said that we were over."

"What?"

"I was serious now get out and give me your key."

Kisumi reluctantly gave Sousuke his key and walked out the door. As soon as he reached his car he cried and hit his head on the stearing wheel. He couldn't believe it. Sousuke didn't take him back. It was all because of Makoto and that brat. Kisumi lowly growled as his mission became clear. He had ot find a way to get rid of Sousuke's kid and the old flame. While Kisumi felt a little terrible for having to hurt people, he didn't care. He knew he'd love the benefits at the end of everthing. This was the beginning of a war and Kisumi was prepared for the casualties that would come his way. He started the car and took one look at the apartment building. "You've won this battle, Yamazaki, but I will win the war." He whispered to himself as he drove away, silently planning Operation: Get Sousuke Back!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, this chapter got long. If you read through everything then I applaud you. If you skipped then I don't know what to say... you skipped. Uh... I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next update


	9. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke begs Makoto to give him a second chance

Sousuke watched the movie as he tried to ignore the fact that Rin and Nanase were sucking off each other's faces. This is not how he wanted to spend his Friday night. Sousuke ate more popcorn and turned up the movie so he could drown them out. Somehow, the couple that was making out were louder. The single male growled as he put a pillow over his ears to drown them out again. Sousuke didn't know which was more awkward. Practically listening to his friend about to fuck someone or walking in on his parents fucking multiple times. The moment Nanase let out a moan, Sousuke had had enough and hit Rin with the pillow.

"Could you two not fuck like a couple of horny rabbits? I'd rather watch the movie than have to listen to live porn." The couple broke apart for air and Rin laughed.

"Sorry. I forgot you were there, we'll try to keep it all PG-13 for you~" In reply, Sousuke flipped him off and continued to watch the movie. There was a good deal of silence until he heard a quiet moan. Sousuke glanced at the couple to find that Nanase was rubbing Rin's crotch. Dammit. That asshole. Sousuke stood up and stretched.

"That's it. I'm out. Goodbye." Sousuke said as he left the house.

He was really not in the mood to listen to two people have sex. Even though Rin was the one who invited him over, he was sure his friend would understand his leaving early. Sousuke sighed as he walked down the steps. Another night alone. He really needed to make more friends. He kept walking until he saw a familiar brunette coming towards him. A smirk appeared his face as he saw his chance to get closer to Makoto.

"Oi, Makoto!" The brunette looked up at the owner of the voice. His emerald eyes widened when he saw Sousuke. Dammit, what was he doing here? As much as Makoto wanted to snap at him and tell him to fuck off, he pulled his beautiful angelic smile and waved at Sousuke.

"Hey. What are you doing here?"

"Rin invited me over to hang out and then we watched a movie when Nanase began getting horny so I left before I could see my best friend either fucking or getting fucked. You?"

Makoto blushed from Sousuke's colorful vocabulary before he answered, "Nothing really. Just returning home from work."

"Cool. I should go now." Sousuke mumbled as he tried to walk away but before he could, Makoto grabbed his arm.

"Wait. Since you're in the neighborhood, would you like to stay over for dinner?" The brunette asked. Sousuke looked at him. That angelic smile that made everyone melt like butter was there. A slight blush dusted on his face as he remembered what that smile did to him. Not to mention those times he woke up with a boner...

"Well uh... if you insist." Makoto smiled and, still holding onto Sousuke's arm, walked to his home. As soon as they got through the door and got their shoes off, three little blurs came running towards them. Makoto smiled when they hugged him. After a minute, they let go and Makoto scooped Shiori up in his arms and pointed to Sousuke.

"Look who's here, Shi-chan." The girl looked in the direction of the finger and smiled brightly.

"Papa!"

"Hey there little one."

"Are you eating dinner with us?"

Sousuke nodded, "Yea. Did you have a good day?"

"Hai! Oh, I was drawing a picture for you. Wanna see it?"

"Sure."

This was Makoto's cue to put his daughter on the ground so she could grab Sousuke's hand and lead him to the living room. Makoto followed them to the living room and smiled as he watched them on the floor. Shiori was showing off her drawings with the pride and confidence of an artist while Sousuke sat there and gave her compliments that made her smile bright. Makoto watched them with a fond smile. Somehow, he felt at peace with this setting. He felt like the three of them were a happy family and for Makoto, it was easy to sink into a little fantasy.

In his fantasy, he would come home to the sight of Sousuke and their daughter. Sousuke would notice him and smile his way. Shiori would run up to him and jump into his arms as Sousuke walks up to him and plants a gentle kiss on his cheek and ask him how his day went. Then they'd gather around the table and eat a dinner that Sousuke made and make normal family dinner conversation. After cleaning up the dinner table, they'd watch television until Shiori began to get tired. Makoto would give her a bath then put her to bed. After that, Sousuke would gently grab him by the waist and kiss him and then they'd go to bed with Makoto falling asleep in Sousuke's arms. That was a nice fantasy but, sadly, that was all it was. A fantasy.

Deep down, Makoto wanted to get together but he still didn't trust Sousuke. His feelings for Sousuke was like a maze with many twists and turns. There was no way he could get through the maze unless he learned to trust Sousuke and eventually learned to love him again. Everytime Sousuke told him those three little words now, he felt like those words were nothing but a cruel lie. Makoto wanted to return those words. He wanted to tell Sousuke he still loved him but he felt that he would be used for sex again. Five years ago, Makoto was heart-broken after he found out that Sousuke wanted him for sex and practically cried for a week. Whenever he thought about that now, all he could feel was burning anger and even some hatred towards his ex. A small, inaudible sigh came from Makoto's lips as he sat on the ground with them and put on his best smile.

"What are you two looking at?" Shiori showed him a picture she drew of Sousuke in his police uniform standing under the title which said "Papa."

"This is a very good drawing Shi-chan!"

"Perhaps we created a little artist." Sousuke chuckled.

Makoto whispered, "Maybe we did." Before anything else could be said, Makoto's mother called that dinner was ready. As he passed by her, she gave him a look that said 'you're doing the right thing'. He was doing what was right for Shiori but was he also doing what was right for himself?

Everyone gathered around the table and ate. After dinner was through and everything was cleaned up, Shiori began to get tired. Sousuke and Makoto put her in the bath. As Makoto washed her hair, Sousuke distracted her by taking her whale shark toy and playing pretend. Makoto listened to Shiori's laughing and watched the smile on Sousuke's face. He couldn't help but smile himself. It warmed his heart to see them getting along so well but then again, doesn't every father and daughter have that bond? After they got her out of the bath, Makoto dried her off and Sousuke put her in a pikachu kigurumi. As soon as Shiori climbed into bed, Sousuke and Makoto gave her a good night kiss. Shiori yawned and began to fall asleep. The adults began to leave when Shiori piped up with,

"Mama, is Papa gonna be here when I wake up?" The two stopped and looked at each other. Neither of them knew how to answer that question. Sousuke smiled sadly and looked at Makoto. The brunette knew that look. They were gonna have to talk about this arrangement.

"We'll see, baby girl." He whispered as he walked out. Makoto bid her one last good night before he gently closed the door and followed Sousuke. When he caught up with him, Sousuke was outside, smoking a cigarette. Makoto sighed and took it from his hand and put it out. The slightly taller man raised an eyebrow.

"What was that for?"

"I don't want you to get lung cancer." He mumbled.

Sousuke chuckled, "It's not like I smoke on a daily basis."

"How often do you smoke?"

"When there's a lot on my mind."

Makoto didn't even have to ask what was on his mind. He already knew. They stayed silent for a while. Both of them had things on their minds but neither knew how to exactly get the words out. They hadn't had a serious talk in a while so for them to have a conversation with each other now is like going through a mine field. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Sousuke sighed and grabbed Makoto's hand and walked off with him. By now, Makoto had gotten scared and visibly paled.

"Where are we going?"

"You and I need to talk but not where other people can hear us." Makoto tried to ask more questions but Sousuke kept silent until they reached his apartment. Wen they got inside, Sousuke locked the door and shot a glare Makoto's way.

"Ok, I've been very fucking patient with you, considering it's been five years, but how much longer are you going to deny your feelings?" Sousuke snapped. Makoto was taken aback by the sudden tone of his voice.

"W-what are you talking about?!"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! I can see it in your eyes. The very fact that you're stuttering now is also a dead give away."

Makoto felt his heart pounding in his chest. He was utterly speechless. Confusion and even a little fear flashed in Makoto's eyes as he stared at Sousuke. In those teal eyes, there were so many emotions going around in his eyes. His face held the same serious expression it usually did. Under Sousuke's gaze, Makoto started to feel like a piece of meat. It was as if Sousuke was a hunter and Makoto was his prey. Makoto felt like he had walked into a trap. After some moments of silence, Sousuke moved his hands and caressed Makoto's cheeks. A faint blush dusted across the brunette's face as his heart beat sped up, even beginning to skip a beat. Makoto wanted to push him away but something was holding him back. Sousuke's face came closer and his eyes fluttered closed as their lips touched.

A heavier blush painted itself across Makoto's face as he felt Sousuke's lips on his again. A spark sent itself throughout Makoto's body. This feeling... He missed it so much. It felt so good. Before Makoto had a chance to kiss back, Sousuke pulled away. A sigh came from his lips as he dropped his hands. He was about to speak when Makoto pressed a finger to his lips. Makoto removed his finger and replaced it with his mouth, immediately closing his eyes and sinking into the kiss. For a moment, Sousuke was stunned but then he kissed back and melted into the kiss. The spark that flashed throughout Makoto's body was back. The feeling was amazing. It felt like he was missing something and what he was missing has now been found.

A pair of hands found their way to Sousuke's hair and tugged on it. Sousuke smirked in the kiss and pushed Makoto back into the sofa. They broke the kiss and panted as they looked each other. As Makoto looked into Sousuke's eyes, he felt so wrong but at the same time he felt like this was right. His conscience was telling him to push Sousuke away but his heart was telling him to stay here. Sousuke could see the love and desire that was in Makoto's eyes. He could tell that Makoto hadn't been having sex must in the last five years. Sousuke began to kiss his neck and put his hands up Makoto's shirt, eventually taking it off and tossing it somewhere. A moan came from the brunette as he shivered in pleasure and arched into Sousuke's touch. Sousuke's touch... somehow he had missed it. Makoto moaned when he felt something pinching his nipples. He looked up at him and he could see the way his eyes began to show love. This was too much... they have to stop... but it felt so good that Makoto couldn't find the voice to tell Sousuke to stop.

"Ah! S-Sou!"

"Yes?"

"More! I-I n-need more! I need your cock inside of me!"

Sousuke chuckled, "My, aren't we very needy tonight~ Why the sudden change, Tachibaby?"

"Y-you w-worked me u-up! M-might as well finish what you started!" Makoto moaned as he began to get aroused. Sousuke smirked as he palmed Makoto's half-hard cock and pushed him back into the couch. Anoter moaned came from Makoto as he bucked his hips. Only one person could make him like this and that person was Sousuke. There was no moving on. Makoto realize that the first time he had sex with Seijuurou. Makoto didn't know when his pants came off but at the moment he didn't care. All he knew was he was as hard as a rock. He bit his lip and looked at Sousuke.

"Sousuke... I need you!"

"Patience. I need to get hard in order to give you what you want." Sousuke stood up and began to undo his pants.

Makoto dropped to his knees on the ground and undid Sousuke's pants and began to pump him. Sousuke moaned at the friction and looked down at Makoto. A lusty smirk came on the brunette's face as he took a small lick at the head of Sousuke's cock. A moan came from Sousuke as he thrusted his hips a little. Makoto moaned and took more of Sousuke in his mouth and began to suck him. Sousuke moaned as he rubbed the back of Makoto's head, urging him to go further. Makoto began to deep throat him. Sousuke moaned and was on the verge of releasing when he pulled Makoto off of him. Makoto looked up at him and groaned. Sousuke chuckled and kissed him.

"I told you I had to get hard, didn't I? Now wait here, I need to get something." Sousuke said as he left and quickly came back with a condom. Makoto eyes the plastic and smirked a little.

"A condom? Don't you want more children with me?" He joked.

"Cut me a break. I just found out I had a daughter and I want to spoil her a little more before another little Yamazaki comes into the world." Sousuke replied as he took out the condom and slipped it on.

The uke laid back on the couch and spread his legs. Sousuke lubed up his fingers slowly inserted one into Makoto. The response was a slight moan and Sousuke moved his finger around. Makoto moaned a little louder. As soon as he felt that Makoto was ready, Sousuke added another finger and began to scissor him. Makoto moaned loudly. Fuck, this felt so fucking good. it's been so long since he felt pleasure like this. Sousuke soon added a third finger and curled all three. Makoto moaned Sousuke's name as he arched his back. more... he need Sousuke's cock badly. Sousuke soon took his fingers out when he saw that Makoto was coming close to release.

"Can't have you cumming from my fingers, can I?" Sousuke laughed as he lined himself up with Makoto's entrance and slowly pushed in. Makoto gasped and tears began to prick in his eyes. Once Sousuke was fully in, he stopped to look at Makoto's face.

"Try to relax yourself Makoto."

"I-I'm trying!" The sandy-haired man sobbed. Sousuke thinks he could have been more gentle. After all, it seems Makoto hadn't gotten any in a while. Sousuke leaned down and kissed Makoto's forehead. Makoto adjusted to him and nodded, giving Sousuke the go to move. At first, Sousuke thrusted slowly. Makoto moaned and closed his eyes in bliss. He felt like he was melting under Sousuke's touch.

"S-Sou! Go f-faster!" He moaned out. Sousuke smiled and obeyed his wish as he thrusted faster. Makoto moaned loudly and tilted his head, exposing his tanned flesh. Sousuke smirked as he began to kiss his neck and nibble on it. A moan came from Makoto as he wrapped his legs around Sousuke's waist, urging him to go deeper. Sousuke moaned and thrusted deeper. Makoto moaned loudly and bucked his hips. Sousuke chuckled and moved up to Makoto's ear and licked it.

"Damn, you sound so sexy~ I wanna hear my name on your lips~"

Makoto moaned Sousuke's name as he began to shake in pleasure. Melting, melting, melting. This feeling. It was so familiar. It feels like the first time again. It feels like they were in their teens again. In Makoto's lust-filled gaze, he could see the love Sousuke held for him. For the first time in five years, Makoto felt loved again. He felt like the one who told him he loved him wasn't lying anymore. Sousuke didn't even have to say the words. The way he was actually being gentle with him and the look in his eyes said enough. Makoto mindlessly repeated Sousuke's name over and over again as if it were some chant. Sousuke smirked and began to nibble on Makoto's ear as he thrusted deeper.

A scream came from the recieving end as he arched his back. Sousuke knew he hit that one spot head on when he heard that scream. He kept his aim on the spot, loving every sound that came from Makoto's mouth. Sousuke had forgotten how good being inside of Makoto felt. Makoto moaned as he felt himself getting closer. Sousuke noticed this and thrusted harder, wanting to bring Makoto to a climax. Makoto couldn't help but moan Sousuke's name as he finally came on his stomach and Sousuke's shirt. He blushed in embarrassment and looked away. A loving chuckle came from Sousuke as he kissed Makoto's cheek and pulled out.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Sousuke said as he took his shirt off and removed the condom and threw it out. Makoto saw that Sousuke was still hard and smirked a little at he got a mischevious idea. He got down on his knees and took Sousuke's cock into his mouth again. Sousuke moaned loudly as he looked down at Makoto. He was met with a warm mouth engulfing him and a head bobbing up and down his length. Makoto's eyes were closed but he could tell the look on his partner's face.

"Fuck!" Sousuke moaned out loud he he held Makoto's head in place and began to fuck his mouth. Makoto moaned loudly as he felt Sousuke fuck his mouth until he came. While Sousuke panted and laid down on the couch to get down from his high, Makoto swallowed what was in his mouth. Sousuke smiled and laid down in the couch as he opened his arms to invite Makoto into his arms. Makoto accepted the invitation and laid in Sousuke's arms. Makoto began to fall asleep and before he did, Sousuke whispered,

"I love you." With a gentle kiss to his partner's cheek. Makoto gave him a tired smile and pecked his lips before he responded.

"I love you too." Makoto whispered as he fell asleep, feeling that everything was right in the world.

* * *

The Next Morning

* * *

Slowly, Makoto opened his eyes and was met with Sousuke's sleeping face. Instantly, the memories of last night flashed in Makoto's mind. Oh no. Did they...? Makoto looked down at his own body and blushed deeply. Oh yes they did. They had sex last night. Makoto carefully got up so that he wouldn't wake Sousuke and gathered up his clothes and went to th bathroom to take a shower. Once Makoto was under the warm water, he placed his hands on the wall and let the water hit his head and fall down his body. How could he let himself give in like that? How could he tell Sousuke he loved him? He had to get out of here. He had to think about everything. Makoto got out of the shower and put his clothes on. He went to the desk in Sousuke's room and took a paper and pen as he began to write him a letter.

When Makoto was done with the letter, he went to the living room and was relieved to see that Sousuke was still in the realm of dreams. A bitter smile graced his features as he put the letter on the table then grabbed his shoes and left. The soft sound of the door closing was enough to wake Sousuke. He groaned when he noticed the absence of one naked Tachibana Makoto.  He frowned as he looked around the apartment and only heard silence. He noticed the note that was left of the table and raised an eyebrow. He took the letter in his hand and sat up as he began to read it.

_Dear Sousuke,_

_If you're reading this now it means that I left before you could wake up. Last night was... I can't even describe it. I mean we just started kissing and then we did it on your couch and I fell asleep in your arms. I won't lie to you, last night was amazing. I felt so alive and I felt like we were dating again. Most of all, I felt like I loved you again and you really loved me. Sou... I really don't know what to make of last night. I don't know if we made love or if we broke some sort of sexual tension or if it was just me giving into my own repressed sexual desires. I know I said I loved you before I fell asleep but I need some time away from you just to figure myself out and where we go from here. I'm sorry I left before we could actually talk but I just have to get out of here. Besides, my parents might have gotten worried when I didn't come back home last night._

_-Makoto_

Sousuke crumbled the letter in his hands and tossed it somewhere else. This is beginning to turn into 100% pure concentrated bullshit. He's tried to be patient with Makoto but not anymore. Sousuke rose from the sofa and cleaned himself up. Today, he was going to win his love back one way or another.

* * *

Makoro silently walked into his home, being extra careful not to wake anybody. He still couldn't believe himself. What was he thinking? This just makes things even more complicated than they already are. How was their relationship going to change? Were they together again? Fuck buddies? A meaningless one-night stand? Makoto groaned as he began to give himself a headache with all this overthinking. He went to his room and everything was s he left it. Shiori was sound asleep and it seemed as if no one had noticed he had gone. He sadly smiled to himself as he went down to the kitchen and made tea. He needed to think to himself for a bit and try to figure out his relationship with Sousuke.

How could he let himself do that? How could he drown in the sexual desires he had long forgotten? Makoto sighed as he took a sip of tea. What was he to Sousuke? What was Sousuke to him? Life just got more complicated. It wasn't that Makoto hated him, he cared deeply, but when he saw Sousuke he still sees that heartless smirk. A tear slipped out of Makoto's eye. He felt so stupid. The kiss last night... Sousuke just wanted to get him to have sex with him again. At least they used a condom this time. He wiped the tear away and sipped his tea. Last night felt wrong yet at the same time felt right. Makoto smiled as he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around himself. The way Sousuke made him feel and the way he held him after they were done. He can't stop thinking about it. Before Makoto could melt into the memories of last night, there was a knock at the door. The brunette jumped and scrambled to get up to answer the door.

When he opened the door, his breath stopped. It was Sousuke who was sporting his same serious expression but this time, he seemed angrier than usual. Makoto saw this coming when he left the letter. he stepped aside and let Sousuke in. They might as well get this over with. They both went into the living room and stood in an embarrassing silence. Neither of them knew what to say to each other. Makoto wanted to ask him what last night was and Sousuke wanted to yell at him for leaving him a letter instead of actually talking to him. Sousuke glared at Makoto and brought out the letter from his pocket.

"A letter? A fucking letter?" Sousuke hissed at him. Makoto flinched and nodded.

"It was a good idea at the time..."

"But you knew I wanted to talk to you!"

"Look, I woke up and I panicked okay! Do you want me to apologize for my first instinct?!"

"Woke up and pankicked or not, you could have woken me up and talked to me then and not left me a letter."

"It was better that way!"

"Oh really? Leaving me a fucking letter was better than actually talking to me!"

"Sousuke, I'm sorry I left like that but I needed to think about last night and where you and I go from now on! You forget that you used me for your own sexual gain and left me like I was nothing!"

"You're still not over that? How many times do I have to say I'm sorry and I love you before you can let that go so we can get back together?!"

"You're really stupid, you know that? I have tried to let that go but whenever I think of you... I see that cruel smirk you had on your face and I get so mad knowing I let myself be used like that. When you came back, I thought I had been over that but I was wrong. Every time you said you love me, I feel like you're lying to me again! I feel like when you tell me that, you're just telling me that so that I fall in love with you again so you can hurt me again!"

"Makoto..."

"But then I think about how I felt when I was with you, how you and Shiori interact with each other, and last night I see the caring and loving side of you that I miss. I want to get back together and pick up where we left off but I can't trust you!"

"Why not? You seem to trust me with Shiori."

"That's different; She's our daughter and I know you would never hurt her. But with me, you broke my heart. You... you were my first love and my first time. I loved you deeply and I practically gave you my heart and you just broke it into a million pieces," Makoto cried, "I'm just so tired of being jerked around by those I trust with my heart. They just leave me like that of a broken toy." Sousue gathered him in his arms and held him as he cried. Makoto didn't bother to push away but only gripped Sousuke's shirt. The slightly taller man kissed his forehead and rubbed his back gently.

"Let me pick up the pieces of your heart. Let me be the one to fix your heart."

Makoto sniffled, "How can I trust you again? How do I know things have changed?"

"...I can't very well say you have to trust me but I will say this; You never know if things have changed unless you see it for yourself. Will you give me a second chance?" Makoto at him. He didn't know if he should. Sousuke broke his heart before, whose to say he won't do it again? Then again, Sousuke does seem very sincere. As skeptical as Makoto was, he slowly nodded. He had to see for himself if things had really changed and this was the first step in trusting and loving Sousuke again, as well as picking up the pieces of his broken heart. Sousuke gently wiped away Makoto's tears and kissed him gently. Makoto kissed him back for a few seconds before they broke apart.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Makoto replied as he hugged Sousuke, feeling like all was right in the world again. Sousuke pulled away and smiled.

"Does this mean we're back together?"

Makoto nodded, "We are. I'm so happy we're together again."

"Me too. Oh and, happy Valentine's day. Sorry I didn't get you anything."

"Knowing that you truly love me is the best gift of all." They hugged again and were oblivious to the fact that they were being watched by the rest of the household. Ren and Ran were trying to fight off the urge to squeal, Mrs. Tachibana was holding Shiori's hand while her husband was filming this on camera.

"How much longer do you think until the wedding?" Mr. Tachibana shrugged.

"A year at least. How long do you think until the next grandchild?"

"Two years." The older couple smiled at each other and looked at their son and his boyfriend who were still in their loving embrace, oblivious to the world and only thinking about their future together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this both sucked Sousuke and Makoto got back together a little too quick but the original way this chapter was supposed to go wasn't working out thw way I imagined it in my head so this happened instead. I hope you enjoyed!


	10. Of Dates and Flying Punches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto and Sousuke go on a date and Sousuke lands in the hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few things before you read the chapter:
> 
> 1) I'm trying a new format so let me know in the comments if you liked it
> 
> 2) Just so we're clear on my age (so that no one judges my age based on my writing again) I'm 15 (gonna be 16 soon) so have fun with that
> 
> 3) Sorry this took too long, I had to keep editing and going over mistakes and filling things in
> 
> 4) I hope you abandoned your attachment to the characters like I suggested in chapter 1 because let me just say this now; shit goes down
> 
> Now that that's out of the way, enjoy chapter ten and let me know what you think about the new format!

Sousuke was stressing out. Bad. Tonight was his first date with Makoto in what feels like forever. He had everything planned. First they'd go see a movie, then dine at that fancy restaraunt that just opened up, then finish the night with a long walk until Makoto had to leave. Tonight had to go perfectly otherwise he'll feel like he failed. The worst thing he could face with Makoto's rejection. Sousuke visibly paled at the thought of Makoto breaking up with him over a date gone wrong. No, that can't happen Makoto wouldn't break up with him over something so trivial. Sousuke messed with his tie for the umpteenth time. He was so nervous, it wasn't even funny.

Sousuke sighed as he pulled out a cigarette and lit up. He took a nice, slow drag of the cancer stick and instantly felt his nervousness melt away. They are gonna have a good date. Makoto isn't going to tire of him. Makoto isn't going to think this date was lame. Makoto isn't going to laugh at such a cheesy date. Tonight is gonna go smoothly and Makoto is going to love the good time Sousuke was gonna show him. And, no, not _THAT_ good time. Get your head outta the gutter... Sousuke finished off his cigarette and threw out the bud. He was waiting at their designated meeting place in the bitter February cold. It's been two weeks since they got back together and tonight was finally their first date. Sousuke was nervous. What if he said something wrong? What if he did something wrong? What if Makoto hated the movie? What if Makoto hated the restaraunt? Sousuke had to run away. He could not handle Makoto's rejection. Before his brain could tell his body to haul ass, a bright voice stopped him.

"Sorry I'm late, I couldn't decide what to wear."

Sousuke gulped as he turned around to see Makoto and blushed deeply when he saw what his boyfriend looked like. He was absolutely beautiful. The beautiful angelic smile he always wore, the stunning green eyes, the cute little button nose... If it were possible, Sousuke would be getting a noseblood now. Sousuke smiled and took Makoto's hand in his and pressed a gentle kiss on his lips. Makoto kissed back for a moment before he broke away and coughed a little.

"How much was on your mind tonight?"

"I got nervous about tonight." Sousuke sheepishly admitted. Makoto smiled and kissed his cheek.

"There's no need to be nervous. I'm sure whatever you planned will be wonderful. Now c'mon, we're gonna be late for the movie if we keep standing here."

The smile that was platered on Sousuke's face had yet to leave. Makoto was literally the sweetest human on this planet and, no matter what, could make a smile appear on Sousuke's face. Sousuke felt like tonight was going to be perfect. Tonight is going to go his way. The two walked to the movie theatre and, luckily, Sousuke had already purchased their tickets in advance so they avoided the long line. They went to their seats and the movie began. It was one of those scary movies so Sousuke knew he was gonna get some cuddles from Makoto.

The lights dimmed and the movie began. It started out in the creepiest setting one can think of; A man woke up in what seemed to look like a dirty, non-functioning bathroom in an abandoned building, chained to a pipe. The man freaked out and screamed as he tried to get out of his restraints but, obviously, he wasn't going anywhere. He struggled for two more minutes before an evil laugh was heard and a girl wearing a bloody high school uniform with her hair all over the place appeared out of nowhere. At first, the man was cocky and even made some very perverted remarks and said uncalled for things but the girl had stayed silent until he asked her what the fuck he was doing there. She gave him a creepy smile and walked closer to him saying a simple word, "Revenge..." And then, here teeth got sharp and she lunged at the man, eating away at his flesh and guts as he screamed in agony and the room filled with blood.

Makoto squirmed in his seat and turned his head and closed his eyes to escape the blood and guts that were flying everywhere. Sousuke watched him out the corner of his eyes and smirked. This was going to be fun. Throughout the movie, people had screamed in the theatre, a few people even ran out and never came back. Makoto screamed too but he held onto Sousuke and hid his face from the scary parts of the movie. Sousuke smiled when he felt Makoto hold onto him. He loved his boyfriend's reactions to scary movies. It was as hilarious as it was cute. By the time the credits started to roll, everyone had run out of the theatre while Sousuke calmly walked out, with Makoto holding onto him tightly. Maybe the movie was a little too scary for Makoto. Hopefully Sousuke didn't traumatize his boyfriend...

After they left the theatre, they walked to the restaraunt hand in hand. A few people sent them glares of disgust but the couple paid it no mind until they got to the restaraunt. Makoto looked at how well everyone was dressed and how fancy the place was and felt so intimidated by it all that he let go of Sousuke's hand. Sousuke looked at him with questioning eyes but didn't say anything until they were taken to their table. When they sat down, they ordered their food and spent the time waiting flirting with each other. Makoto smiled and turned his head to the window, saw Seijuurou staring at him from across the street then- wait... Seijuurou?! Makoto did a double take and his ex was gone. Was he seeing things?

"Makoto, what's wrong?" Sousuke asked in a concerned tone. Makoto blushed and shook his head.

"It's nothing, I just thought I saw someone I dated a while ago."

"Is he someone I have to rough up?"

"No, don't worry about it. Just focus on us, ok?" Sousuke nodded and took Makoto's hand in his and kissed it tenderly. Suddenly, as if he appeared out of nowhere, their waiter appeared with their food.

The couple ate, occasionally feeding each other every few bites. Makoto smiled after each bite and glanced at the window every once in a while. Though his face didnt show it, his mind wondered if he had actually seen his ex literally watching him or if he were seeing things. When they finished their shared meal of lobster, Sousuke ordered a chocolate cake with ice cream just for Makoto and watched in delight as his boyfriend ate. When they were together all those years ago, Sosusuke remembered Makoto have quite the sweet tooth. Sousuke chuckled when Makoto offered him a bite of his cake, which he graciously accepted. He ate his bite then let out a loud burp soon after. The other diners paused for a moment then resumed their dinner conversations. He blushed and Makoto was trying not to laugh as he finished his cake. After the check came, Sousuke paid for everything and the two were off walking into the moonlight hand in hand.

"Sou, I've had a wonderful time!"

"Really?"

"Yea! The movie was scary and almost made me wet myself but the dinner was just great! How did you afford a place like that?"

"Well... I've been saving up for a while and I figured that I'd spoil you tonight."

Makoto blushed, "Sousuke~ You didn't have to do that for me!"

"I wanted to. You deserve it." Makoto smiled and kissed Sousuke on the cheek.

"I love you."

"I love you too." 

From then, two walked in silence, not wanting to ruin the pleasant mood that was created. After a while Sousuke began to feel like they were being followed. He tried to keep his cool for Makoto but paranoia wasn't letting him do that. As they walked around the streets, Sousuke constantly looked behind him when Makoto wasn't looking. He could swear someone was following them around, he could feel it. Soon, the time came for Makoto to go home and Sousuke decided to be a gentleman and walk him there for Makoto's safety. If there was someone following them, then Sousuke had to make sure his boyfriend wasn't attacked in any way. Of course as they were walking to their destination, Sousuke kept looking behind them to see if they were being followed more--to avoid being jumped by some psycho--and Makoto had enough.

"You keep looking behind us. What's wrong?" Makoto asked with a frown. Sousuke looked at him and frowned too. He hated to make Makoto frown. It reminded him of that heartbroken teenage boy from five years ago, except there were no tears in his eyes like last time.

"Do you get the feeling someone's been following us around the whole time we were walking?"

"Uh no... Maybe you're just beng paranoid."

"Yea, maybe... c'mon, let's get you h-"

"MAKOTO!" A voive yelled from behind them. The couple turned around to see Seijuurou coming to them. Makoto immediately felt like shrinking up and disappearing while Sousuke just stood in front of him.

"Who the fuck are you?" He spat at the man. Seijuurou looked the younger man up and down and glared daggers at him.

"Who da fuck are _you?"_

"Makoto's boyfriend. You?"

"Wha?"

"Yea and he's the mother of my child." Sei glared at him and looked at Makoto then jabbed Sousuke with his index finger.

"This the bastard who used you 'n' left you to raise Shiori by yourself? Why are you walkin' with this guy?" The ginger slurred his words. Makoto's face mixed into one of disgust as he backed away and covered his nose.

"Just leave, Sei. He was taking me home from our date."

"Date? You seriously goin' back to him? Didn' he hurt you?"

Makoto scoffed, "Don't act like you're such a saint, Mikoshiba! You hurt me just as bad too!"

"But I didn' use you for my own sexual gain 'n' turn you into a single parent like this bastard did!" Sei yelled and took a step close to his ex. Makoto backed away a little and Sousuke pushed the ginger away.

By now, Sousuke was getting pissed off. This guy, he was assuming he was assuming as Makoto's ex, was being annoying. Sousuke shuddered to imagine what Makoto saw in this guy. He looked him up and down. He dressed in black, his hair was slicked back, his eyes were fixed in a hard glare, his face was fixed in a twisted expression that was a cross between anger and almost looking homicidal. Standing close to him, Sousuke could smell the alcohol on him and conclude that prior to being here, he had been drinking; and heavily so. Deep in his mind, Sousuke knew he shouldn't fight with a drunk person but with how much this drunken fool was annoying him and upsetting Makoto, any and all reason why he shouldn't fight this clown was thrown out of the window. Sousuke stepped close to him and looked him straight in the eye, returning the man's glare.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to turn the fuck around and leave. You're upsetting my boyfriend."

"Not 'til I know Makoto ain't making a mistake."

"And what makes you think Makoto wants to go back to you?"

"He don' know what he wants. You manipulated him into thinkin' he wants you." Before Sousuke could reply, Makoto grabbed his arm and pulled him slightly, as if to tell Sousuke to back away. Sousuke reluctantly turned away and started to walk away with Makoto when Seijuurou yelled out,

"You're makin' the stupidest decision of your life! He's jus' gonna leave you and your daughter out in the cold once he gets what he wants!"

That's when Sousuke began to see red. He turned around, went back to Seijuurou and punched him in the face, hard. The red-haired man stumbled back and clutched his nose and flashed his eyes at Sousuke. This means war. He stood up and punched him back. Sousuke looked at him and his nose began to bleed. The two looked at each other before Sei lunged at him and the two began to throw punches. Makoto yelled at them to stop but neither of them were listening as they were too caught up in kicking each other's asses. Makoto tried to get close to them and break it up but every time he tried, he was either almost punched or kicked in the face. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to stop the fight but they weren't listening to him and he could get hit if he walked too close. All he could do was sit by and watch with a worried expression on his face as his ex and boyfriend ducked it out.

Somewhere in the middle of the fight, Sousuke's shoulder began to act up and he was in pain. Seijuurou used this to his advantage and proceeded to beat Sousuke while he was down. Sousuke couldn't move, it hurt too much pain. Makoto watched with wide eyes as Sousuke went down with a cry of pain and listened as he cried in pain even more. To say the least, Makoto was stunned. He couldn't move. He'd never seen Sousuke in such pain nor had he seen Seijuurou act so violent under the influence. Two sights Makoto had never seen before presented themselves to him and for once in his life, Makoto didn't know how to handle it. He'd never been fought over before so this scene, it was new to him. Another piercing cry sounded in the air and Makoto couldn't bear to see Sousuke's features twisted in pain any longer. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he ran to them. he had to put an end to this fight.

"STOP!" Makoto finally yelled as he dropped to his knees and took Sousuke into his arms and began to cry over him. Seijuurou huffed and gave Sousuke one more kick to his side.

"You seriously defendin' that piece o' shit? He can' even fight properly!" Makoto looked up at his ex with tears uncontrollably falling from his eyes.

"Just leave! You've done enough damage!"

"Makoto-"

"LEAVE!" The brunette screamed. Sei was startled to say the least but he turned around and left, deciding in hsi drunken haze that an angry Makoto is not a Makoto worth dealing with.

Makoto continued to cry over his boyfriend as he called for an ambulance. As he waited, Makoto couldn't help but continue to cry over him, his tears falling onto his face. In Sousuke's eyes, the light that was there was going out. Sousuke didn't say anything but through his pain, he forced out a smile and shakingly lifted a hand to Makoto's face and gently cupped his cheek. Makoto cried more as he craddled his boyfriend's body to himself until the paramedics came several minutes later and whisked Sousuke away. After some pleading, the paramedics let Makoto ride to the hospital with them. During the ride, the paramedics were assessing as many of Sousuke's injuries as he could while Sousuke was going in and out of it. Makoto whispered words of love and apologies into Sousuke's ear. Deep down, he felt bad for this. It was is fault. Sousuke was suffering these injuries and screwed up his shoulder even worse for him. They got to the hospital and Sousuke had been rushed to an operating room while Makoto had to stay in the waiting room.

Minutes seemed as though they'd turned into hours. Sousuke had to be ok. He wouldn't be able to live if Sousuke were to pass on. How was he going to explain to Shiori that she'd never see Papa again? After what seemed like an eternity, a doctor came out and told Makoto of Sousuke's injuries. His shoulder was screwed up bad, almost to the point of disrepair, there were many bruises from where he'd been kicked, a couple of his ribs had been broken, some organs--some vital, some not so vital--had been damaged from the kicking, a black eye, his nose was slightly fractured, he was having trouble breathing on his own, and Sousuke was going to be unconscious for an undetermined amount of time. The doctor even said that had Makoto not called an ambulance when he did, there was a chance Sousuke could have been DOA. Makoto could have broken down and cried right then and there. Sousuke had all those injuries and it was his fault. Sousuke could have _died_ and it was all his fault. Sousuke could _die_ and it was his fault. After he was done talking with the doctor, Makoto went to see him. Makoto entered the room and paused at what he saw.

In the center of the room was Sousuke lying in the bed unconcious and with an oxygen mask on and under his hospital clothes, Makoto could see the bandages. He walked in and pulled up a chair next to Sousuke's bed. His boyfriend's chest was slowly rising and falling with each breath that was taken from the tank and flowed into Sousuke's system and his eyes were closed. In his slumber, Sousuke looked somewhat peaceful. Makoto sighed and took Sousuke's hand in his and held it. He wanted to stay there by his side and never leave him. Makoto gently squeezed his hand and looked at Sousuke's face. He looked so undisturbed, as if nothing had happened.

"Hey," Makoto whispered/choked through the tears that were threatening to fall, "I know you can't hear me but this has to be said... I'm sorry. This is all my fault, if I had pulled you away before you punched him, then you never would have gotten into that fight and you never would have gotten hurt. I hope you can forgive me."

"Makoto, an officer is here to speak with you." A doctor spoke up. Makoto looked to the door to see Rin standing there and the doctor walking away. The brunette let go of Sousuke's hand and walked over to Rin.

"I didn't think you'd be on duty tonight."

"They put me on last minute. What the hell happened to Sousuke?" Rin asked, gesturing to his unconcious partner. Makoto frowned and did his best to stop the tears from falling out but he was failing miserably.

"Seijuurou happened..." He mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"Sousuke was walking me home from our date when Seiijuurou showed up. Seijuurou smelled of alcohol like he'd been drinking all night and harrassed us. Anyway, they got into an argument and we were about to walk away when Seijuurou said something uncalled for then Sousuke got mad and punched him then they started to fight. Somewhere in the middle of it, I think Sousuke's shoulder began to act up and he went down the Sei got the upper hand and just kept kicking and punching him until I stopped him."

Makoto went over the grim details of how his lover got into that hospital bed. Rin was floored by this and Makoto couldn't blame him. Mikoshiba Seijuurou was a gentle spirit. He was kind-hearted and wouldn't hurt so much as a single fly but then again, you can never judge a book by its cover. The two stood in silence until Makoto said,

"So, what's gonna happen now? Who gets arrested?"

Rin scratched the back of his head, "I don't know. I really wanna say Mikoshiba because he provoked the fight plus he was publically drunk, assaulted a cop, and possible attempted murder but then again Sousuke could get suspended from the force because he threw the first punch and, off duty or not, he harmed a civilian." Makoto nodded and wiped away a tear that managed to escape.

"Thank Rin."

"No problem. Let me or Haru know if you need something."

"Of course." Rin tipped his hat at him and left, leaving Makoto to go back to Sousuke.

It seemed Sousuke had not moved an inch. A sad sigh came from Makoto's lips. The doctor said that Sousuke was going to be asleep for a while, or possibly die if he didn't wake up within the next three weeks. Makoto didn't want to face that possibility, mostly because he was scared. He was scared to lose Sousuke forever. Hell, he was scared to lose him in general. Losing Sousuke five years ago took a toll on Makoto. He didn't function for a while and practically shut down. It took a reality check to make Makoto realize he had to move on and try to live his life. Makoto stared at Sousuke and mentally prayed that he'd wake up soon. He couldn't sit through Sousuke's funeral, it was too soon. Makoto glanced at the clock and saw that he should go home. Well, that and a nurse was pleading with him to go home and get some rest.

Reluctantly, Makoto stood up and kissed Sousuke's forehead as if to tell him he'd be back later. He left the room and walked down the halls thinking deeply. There was a chance he'd be losing Sousuke forever. His heart felt heavy as he kept thinking of the possibility. He'd never see his boyfriend again. Shiori would once again be growing up without her father around. Maktoo would have no choice but to go continue living with his family. No. That cou;dn't happen. Sousuke was a fighter and he couldn't give up. He had to pull through, he just had to. Makoto stepped into the elevator and closed his eyes as he thought. _Please don't die Sousuke... your daughter needs you... I need you..._ A tear slid out of his eye and he walked out of the elevator and out of the hospital with the hope that when he came back tomorrow, Sousuke would be awake.

* * *

Teal eyes opened slowly and faced a white ceiling. Sousuke squinted his eyes as he adjusted to the brightness of the room. This... this wasn't his home. He looked around the room and saw that he was in a hospital. Tubes were in his body, bandages were on him, hiding whatever injuries he sustained, and he was wearing an oxygen mask. He looked around the room to see if there was anyone with him. From what he could see, the room was basically empty. He took the mask off and tried to get up but he was in pain and had laid back down.

"Shit!" He hissed in pain as he clutched his ribs. That hurt like hell.

He felt a little movement near his side and looked down to see Shiori curled up against him like a kitten. He absent-mindedly pet her hair as he tried to figure out how he got here. His mind was fogged and trying to remember what happened felt like going through a confusing maze. As he tried to remember what happened before he woke up, Makoto walked in from the small bathroom that was in the room. They locked eyes and felt an awkward moment pop up between them. Makoto had never seen Sousuke in the hospital and he felt like he was the one who put him in that bed. He forced a smile and walked to his side.

"Hey there, how are you feeling Sousuke?"

"My head hurts. What happened?"

"You got into a fight with my ex and you got hurt really bad. You've been unconscious for almost a month." Sousuke nodded and looked at his bandages as the memories came back.

He remmebered the flying punches. The unavoidable pain in his shoulder that made him go down. The kicks and punches that never seemed to end as he groaned in pain. Going between the planes of consciousness and unconsciousness. Hearing Makoto crying, his screams, feeling his tears fall on his face. Listening to the words Makoto said in he ambulance on the way to the hospital. Succumbing to his the darkness. His heart filled with guilt. He didn't want that night to end like that. He hadn't meant for the night to end like that. Most of all, he hadn't meant for Makoto to seen him like that. He sighed and looked away from Makoto.

"I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to get into that fight with him and I didn't want to ruin our night but I did... he was right, I am a piece of shit..." He whispered in apology. Makoto shook his head and frowned.

"No, it was my fault. If I had pulled you back the second time, you wouldn't be here and everything would be fine."

Sousuke looked at Makoto in disbelief. Makoto would really blame himself? He shook his head and slowly raised his arm, despite the shooting pain, and placed his hand on his cheek. Makoto looked at him in surprise. The love that shone in Sousuke's eyes through the serious made Makoto cry a little. Sousuke caught the tear that fell out of his eye and wiped it away with his thumb. Makoto couldn't help himself but cry a little and Sousuke gently shushed him. Makoto eventually calmed down after thrity minutes and wiped his tears away. Sousuke kissed his cheek and held his hand.

"Don't you dare apologize. It was a pleasure getting injured for you and I may be hurting but I'm just fine."

"You could have died and I could have prevented it. How can you tell me not to blame myself?"

"Because I don't blame you." Was the simple answer that poured out of Sousuke's lips. Makoto blinked the tears away and smiled sadly.

"You don't?"

"Of course not. Mako, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you." Sousuke smiled and kissed his cheek. Makoto smiled a little and kept himself from crying.

"I'm sorry again... when Sei and I were together, he was never like that."

Sousuke frowned, "What was he like? You know, what did you see in him?"

"What I saw in him was completely different than what your saw. I saw someone gentle, someone who loved me for me, someone who didn't mind that I have a daughter. He seemed to care and he was very loving. I remember every night when I got off from work he'd be waiting for me and he would walk me home. The whole walk, he would hold my hand and whisper sweet nothings into my ear. Those little moments were the best but things took a turn for the worse and we begun to fight."

"Over what?"

"Our relationship. How I focus more on my child and my job than him. How tiring it is to have to play daddy to a child that isn't his. Our last fight was over Shiori. He tried to give me an ultimatium but I told him not to make me choose him over my little girl. He came close to hitting me but instead he just said that he entered this relationship with me, not my daughter, then walked out." Makoto bitterly reflected, his heart beginning to feel heavy.

Makoto didn't like to remember his relationship with Seijuurou. Sometimes it was nice to remember the good timed but it hurt his heart to remmeber because of the way they ended. When they broke up, Makoto was heartbroken. It was another guy he cared about and the guy broke his heart into pieces and left him to clean up the mess. He remembered the feelings he went through. The denial. The hope that Sei would change his mind and come back. The realization that it was over. The depression. The nights spent crying himself to sleep. The many times he thought about killing himself and leaving every one behind. The night he tried. Makoto shuddered at the memory of that night. He never liked to think about it and when he did remember it, he took a moment to remember that night and why he was still alive.

* * *

~Flashback Sequence: Activated

Time: Four Years Ago~

* * *

_"Are you sure you'll be fine tonight? Your father and I can always cancel." His mother tried again._

_"We'll be fine Mom. You two have a fun weekend and don't worry about me." He lied through a cheery smile. Mrs. Tachibana reluctantly nodded and left the house with her husband, knowing that if she insisted more, Makoto would just keep nudging her to leave the house._

_Once the door closed, Makoto sighed and went to the living room to see Shiori on the floor, playing with her blocks. He smiled sadly as he watched her. It's been a month since Seijuurou broke up with him. They'd been dating for a year but then they started to fight. Sei was fed up with being a babysitter instead of a boyfriend, the hours Makoto worked, only getting to be with Makoto at night and on his days off. Makoto wanted to make things work but with the fights, it was inevitable but Makoto hadn't taken the break-up seriously until Sei had to tell him it was over via text then ignore him. In the past month, Makoto had been struggling with the depression of being dumped a second time._

_This time the depression was worse. He completely shut down and practically cut himself off from life. Gone was the vibrant smile that almost seemed tattooed to his face. He cried himself to sleep almost every night and barely left the house unless it was for work or going shopping. He even thought about killing himself a couple times. Everyone who was close to him got worried about him and tried to help him through his depression. While it was sweet, Makoto was too far to the edge and he felt like tonight was the night to do it. Ren and Ran were at sleepovers and it was date night for his parents so he was alone with the baby for the night. He felt bad for doing this with his daughter in the house and knew the risk if his attempt was unsuccessful but with how he was going to do it, he was gonna be dead by the time everyone got home._

_Shiori noticed her mother and smiled as she walked up to him and hugged his leg. Makoto had to fight off his tears. He picked her up and held her close. Shiori hugged him and placed a big, sloppy kiss on Makoto's cheek. He kissed her cheek and brought her to the kitchen to feed her. Makoto sighed and began to heat up some canned spaghetti. Tonight was his last night with his daughter, he might as well make every last moment with her a happy one before he died. When the food was warmed up, he took it out of the microwave and began to feed her. Shiori smiled with each spoonful gained and even begun to play with her food. He surveyed the damage when she was done. Parts of her face and hands were covered in tomato sauce._

_"Shi-chan," Makoto shook his head with an amused smile, "Mama's gotta give you a bath now." Shiori smiled and raised her arms in the air as Makoto picked her up and walked to the bathroom. When they got there, Makoto turned the faucet on to the right temperature and put Shiori in the bath. While Makoto was giving her a bath, Shiori giggled and played with the bubbles and splashed in the water. Makoto smiled a little then took Shiori out of the bath and dried her off._

_"You're gonna be a swimmer like Mama, aren't you?" He whispered as he took Shiori to the bedroom and put her in her favorite green onesie. Makoto sang a gentle lullaby to his daughter and watched as she slowly fell asleep. This was the last time he'd watch his baby girl fall asleep with in his arms. Makoto kissed her forehead and laid her down in her crib and watched her sleep for a moment. He had to savour this moment, it woud be the last time he got to watch her sleep._

_"Sweet dreams, Shi-chan... I love you so much." He whispered. He went to his desk and pulled out the already written suicide note and placed it there then took out the sleeping pills. His plan was to overdose on the pills and die in his sleep so he won't wake the baby._

_Makoto looked at the bottle. Is this what his life has come to? Committing suicide? While it was sad he was going to go, he wasn't going to hurt anymore. No longer would he live with the pain of having his heart broken. No longer would he make the people in his life worry about him. He took a deep breath and opened the bottle and began to put the pills in his mouth when he suddenly stopped. Could he really do this? Could he really kill himself? Could he abandon his daughter? He looked to his daughter and thought about all the moments he would miss out on. A tear slid out of his eye as he closed the bottle and put it back in the drawer with the suicide note and began to cry. He can't do this. He can't kill himself. He can't leave his daughter. He wiped his tears away and stood over his daughter's crib, watching her sleep._

_Looking at his baby sleeping made Makoto remember a promise he made. What was it again? To take care of his daughter as best he could? Yea right, now he felt like a shitty parent. He wasn't taking care of her; he was about to abandon her and let her grow up without her mother. She was already growing up without her father, why make her grow up without her mother? Makoto knew he couldn't let himself get weak over a messy break-up; he had to be strong. Not only for himself but for his daughter too. He continued to watch his daughter sleep until she began to cry from what seemed to be a nightmare. Makoto wasted no time in picking her up and beginning to comfort her._

_"Shh, it's ok Shi-chan. Mama's here and won't ever leave you, I promise." he whispered reassuringly to his crying child, knowing what he just said was a promise he was going to keep, no matter what._

* * *

Makoto came out of the flashback with a sad smile. He had long forgotten about that night. The only ones who knew what he almost did were Makoto himself and every god--the ones he both believes in and doesn't believe in--that was watching him. He silently began to cry as he thought about how things might have been had he done it. That was something Makoto didn't want to remember. He absolutely _hated_ to remember that night. Unknown to Makoto, a gentle hand cupped his face and wiped his tears away. He slightly gasped in surprise as he looked at Sousuke.

"Sou?"

"You were crying. What's wrong?"

"Gomen ne... I was remembering an unpleasant memory..."

Sousuke nodded in understanding but didn't dare to ask about it. Instead, he kissed Makoto's cheek and whispered sweet things to his boyfriend. Makoto smiled and carefully hugged Sousuke. The darker-haired man smiled and buried his face in his boyfriend's hair and inhaled his scent like a wolf memorizing what his mate smelled like. Sousuke was about to say something when he heard a little yawn and felt a little movement on his side. He turned his head to see Shiori waking up from her nap. Once the child had woken up, she began to tear up a little before she hugged her father tight, almost thinking that if she were to let go he would disappear. Sousuke and Makoto looked at each other then back to their daughter.

"Shiori, what's wrong?" Sousuke softly asked. The girl in question lifted her head up. Her eyes were filled to the brim with tears that were threatening to fall out as her lips were trembling.

"M-Mama said t-that a b-bad m-man almost made you g-go on v-va-vacation!" Shiori stuttred out as she tried not to cry.

Sousuke was about to ask her what she meant by "vacation" when he realized that Makoto had simplified the meaning of death for Shiori. He looked at Makoto who had looked away to avoid Sousuke's gaze. From that action alone, Sousuke got all his answers. That fight could have killed him. His injuries must have been that bad. To be breathing now was a blessing in itself. He swallowed the words that both almost and wanted to come out of his mouth as he wiped away the tear that fell out of her eye.

"Well the bad man did a terrible job at making me go on vacation."

"I don't want you to go on vacation Papa!" Shiori cried as she once again clung to her father.

"Honey, as long as I'm alive, no one's sending me on vacation."

"But why did the bad man try?" Sousuke looked at Makoto who was still avoiding his gaze. He smiled a little and turned back to his daughter.

"The bad man tried because I love Mama." Shiori tilted her head in confusion and Makoto finally looked at Sousuke.

"I don't understand..."

"You see, the bad man loves Mama just as much as I do and was mad because Mama loves me. He wanted to send me on vacation so that he could have Mama all to himself but even when I was close to going, Mama held me back because it's not time to go on vacation." Sousuke explained. Shiori wiped her tears away and kissed her father's cheek.

"I'm happy you didn't go on vacation."

"Me too, Shi-chan." Makoto smiled at the both of them and intertwined his fingers with Sousuke's and held his hand. Sousuke looked at him and smiled back as he took Makoto's hand and kissed it. The lighter-haired brunette blushed and hid his face. The action made Sousuke chuckle. No matter how many times Sousuke kissed him all over his body, Makoto would always blush to the point where his face almost resembled a cherry.

"Babe, you look cute when you blush." Sousuke complimented. That made Makoto blush deeper and want to hide his face even more.

"N-no flirting in front of the baby..." Makoto said with slight embarrassment in his voice. Shiori laughed and then her stomach growled.

Sousuke chuckled, "Someone's hungry."

"Looks like we've gotta go home now, it's getting late." Makoto stated, glancing at the clock. Their daughter pouted and clung to her father a little tighter.

"But I wanna stay with Papa!" She whined.

"I'll ask Haru-chan to bring you by after school tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Ok. Bye Papa! See you tomorrow!"

Shiori beamed then hugged Sousuke. Makoto lifted her up from the bed and put her on the ground then kissed his boyfriend on the cheek and walked out with Shiori. Sousuke smiled and waved them a goodbye until they were gone. He may be in the hospital with injuries that could have killed him, but he was a lucky guy. Lucky to be alive. Lucky to have a wonderful daughter. Lucky enough to have a caring boyfriend. Lucky enough to be able to win back an old flame. He yawned and closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep. From this point, things were going to go is way, he could feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may wanna read this little heads up because chapters 11 and 12 will end up being time skips. 11 skipping one month after this chapter and 12 skipping two weeks after chapter 11 but from 13 on there shouldn't be anymore time skips until the final chapter. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed that, sorry if I didn't provide enough detail and if the chapter felt rushed and ended abruptly.


	11. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's just say some big moves happen, ok?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took too long, I turned 16, started reading Homestuck again, screwed around on my tumblr {textsfromsoumako} and a bunch of personal stuff happened

**_"Should we really be doing this?"_ **

**_"We have to."_ **

**_"Can't we just cancel and say something came up?"_ **

**_"I'm not letting you back out of this."_ **

**_"But what if-"_ **

**_*DING DONG*_ **

* * *

"We should talk about moving in together."

Sousuke stated nonchalantly as he cuddled with Makoto. Makoto looked at him like he was crazy. Moving in together? That was way too soon. Currently, the two were sitting up on Sousuke's hospital bed cuddling with each other. Today, Makoto came to visit him alone since Shiori was on a field trip to an amusement park with her class and he managed to get some vacation time from his job. Since Makoto had come to visit at the hospital he and Sousuke had been cuddling in silence until the seme opened his big mouth and mentioned moving in together. Makoto moved away from him as he sat up and drew his knees to his chest. His face held an unspoken look of doubt plastered on it. Sousuke saw his face and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Sousuke gently asked as he put his hand on Makoto's shoulder.

Makoto looked at him and leaned against him. "Don't you think it's too soon? I mean we just got together almost three months ago!"

"So? I think we're ready."

As soon as Sousuke said that, Makoto began to think about the last time Sousuke mentioned making a big commitment in their relationship: Sousuke fucked him over and he got pregnant. It's not that Makoto didn't mind moving in with him--in fact he would move in with him in a heart beat--but he wanted to take things one step at a time and move slow like they should have the first time. Sousuke caught the look in his eye and frowned at him a little.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you remember what happened the last time you said something like that to me?"

". . . I do."

"Sousuke, I don't want to be hurt again. If you're planning to hurt me in the end just tell me it's over now so I can leave and cry out all my tears over you again."

The injured man cupped his lover's cheek and stared deeply into his emerald orbs which showed tears welling up from pain. Sousuke rubbed the pads of his thumbs against his cheek bones and then moved from his cheek to his chin and tilted his head up. Sousuke pecked his lips, "I would never hurt you like that ever again. I love you so much and I want to be with you as long as I can and possibly have more kids with you."

Makoto smiled and pecked Sousuke's lips. "I want that too but I think we should wait."

"How long before I wake up to you lying next to me?"

"At the very least, some time before Christmas."

Sousuke chuckled and kissed him. "That would be a wonderful gift from Santa." Makoto smiled as he cuddled into Sousuke. "Maybe that can be arranged~" Sousuke laughed and kissed Makoto's forehead. Maybe someday they'll move in together but that day isn't for a long time. The two sat in silence for a little while until it came time for Makoto to leave. He had to pick up Shiori from the amusement park. He got up from the bed and gave Sousuke a good-bye kiss.

"I have to pick up Shiori from her field trip. We'll try and come by tomorrow."

"Maybe uh... don't..."

"Why not?"

"I sent a little something in the mail for both of you and you guys have to be at home to get it."

"First of all, that's so sweet of you! Second, what the hell is it? Third, why?"

"I date a 23-year-old man with a sweet tooth, I can't tell you it's a surprise, I love you guys and I feel like shit for making you worry about me since I've been laid up."

Makoto chuckled and kissed him again. "We're your family, we'll always worry about you. Now I've gotta go." Makoto waved as he left. Sousuke waved back and watched him leave. He may not have wanted him to go but he loved the way that ass moved when he left. Tomorrow is going to be a good day.

* * *

"Mama!" Shiori beamed as she ran up to Makoto.

Makoto bent down to her level in time and hugged her. By the time Makoto had gotten to the amusement park to pick her up, Shiori was the last child there. He felt a little bad for making her wait but he was a long ways away. He bowed to Sohma-sensei before walking away to the nearest train station, holding his daughter's hand the whole way. They got on the next train to Iwatobi and spent the ride surrounded by various people going home after a tiring day at work.

On the ride to Iwatobi, Shiori was nestled against his side and fast asleep clutching onto a plush seal for dear life. Makoto had an arm around her and watched her sleep in deep thought. He began to think of what Sousuke said earlier. On one hand it was better to take things slow but on the other hand they have a child together and they have to do what was best for her. Makoto inaudibly sighed. He really did want to move in with Sousuke but he was scared of what would happen. Was Sousuke just going to use him again? Was he going to be hurt again? Sousuke assured him he wouldn't do that again but doubt clouded his mind. Makoto hated to be suspicious of his boyfriend's actions but he couldn't help it. He was still learning to trust Sousuke and it was going to take a lot to completely trust him again. For all he knew, Sousuke could be lying to him.

Makoto frowned at the thought of Sousuke having ulterior motives. His heart told him that Sousuke would never purposely hurt him again, but his mind told him to be suspicious. Maybe he was just overthinking the situation. Maybe nothing bad would happen if they made that step. No, they couldn't. The last time that happened, things ended up the way they did. Makoto didn't want to rush into anything major too soon but he loved Sousuke and did want to move in with him. Makoto sighed to himself. He'll have to talk to Sousuke about the matter, he didn't want to give himself a headache thinking about this.

The train came to a stop at the station and passengers were getting off. Makoto lifted Shiori up into his arms and carried her off since she was still asleep. He walked in the direction of his home and began to feel like someone was following them. His stomach began to feel queasy and churn with uneasiness. He turned around and saw no one behind him. He sighed in relief as he turned back around and kept walking until he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Oi Makoto!"

Makoto rolled his eyes and turned around to see Seijuurou behind him. Unlike the last time they crossed paths, Sei was sober and actually looking like himself. Makoto wanted to punch him and walk away but there were two things stopping him; Shiori was asleep and Sei knew how to fight. He glared at him and began to walk away. Seijuurou took him by the shoulder and turned him around.

"Makoto, please, talk to me!"

"I have nothing to say to you! Just leave me the hell alone!"

"Please forgive me! I'm sorry!"

"You have no right to say sorry or beg for my forgiveness! Hell, you have no right to even _talk_ to me!"

"I was drunk that night, I didn't know what the hell I was doing."

"Don't give me that. You knew exactly what you were doing, even when you were kicking him when he was down, you knew what the fuck you were doing!" Makoto's voice rose with every word. He was so mad right now he just wanted this idiot to leave him alone.

"Just give me a chance!"

"You almost killed my boyfriend and took my child's father away from her! Why the hell should _I_ give _you_ a chance?!"

Makoto cried. Why the hell should Sei get a chance? He almost killed Sousuke! Shiori stirred in Makoto's arms and woke up. She rubbed her eyes and looked at Seijuurou. He was staring at her with a deep look in his eyes. Almost immediately she buried her face in the crook of her mother's neck to try and escape the man's gaze. Seijuurou's face softened as he reached out to pat Shiori's head. Makoto pulled away form him and grit his teeth.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her!" He lowly growled through clenched teeth. Sei drew his hand back and mumbled a sorry. Makoto swallowed a lump in his throat and walked away not saying another word to him. Before he walked completely out of his ex's ear shot, he turned around and looked him in the eye. "Stay away from me, my daughter, and Sousuke! I never want to see you again!" As soon as he finished his sentence, he turned around and walked to his home.

When they got home, Shiori made a dash for the kitchen since it was dinner time. Makoto followed her shortly and sat down. During dinner Makoto's thoughts were occupied with Seijuurou. How dare he try talking to him?! How dare he even try asking for forgiveness?! There was no way Makoto could ever forgive him for what happened. After dinner Makoto helped his parents clean up. Mrs. Tachibana looked at her son with a worried expression. She could tell something was wrong with him at dinner but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. All she knew was that her son looked a little unhappy and as if he had just taken a great emotional blow. There were only three times Makoto had been like this; the day Sousuke broke his heart, the day he realized he was going to be a single parent, and the day he realized he and Seijuurou were over for good. She placed a gentle hand on her son's shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

Makoto sighed and leaned against a counter. "On the way home, Seijuurou tried talking to me again."

"About what?"

"What happened with Sousuke. He tried saying he didn't know what he was doing which was a load of bull. He knew what he was doing when he kept punching him and kicking him when he fell..." Makoto trailed off. The memories of that night flashed through his mind. They appeared fresh as if they had just happened. He swallowed the lump in his throat and let out a trembling sigh. "He apologized and asked for my forgiveness... I can't forgive him... How can I? I mean, he almost killed Sousuke and it scared me. What if he comes after him again? What if he's crazy enough to go after Shiori? What then? Will my forgiving him have meant nothing if he continues to harass us? What do I do?"

"My best advice; talk it over with Sousuke next time you see him."

Makoto nodded and turned his head to watch Shiori watching TV with her aunt and uncle. He couldn't help but feel worried and scared for his daughter. The world was a cruel and dangerous place, he knew that well, and trouble finds its way to the innocent. If there was one thing Makoto learned from his 23 years of life, it's best to enjoy the seemingly never-ending days of childhood while you can because when you grow up, your eyes open up wide and you see the world for what it really is; a cruel yet beautiful place. Makoto dread the day Shiori found out the world was cruel, but, for now, she was trapped in the glorious days of childhood. Makoto joined his daughter on the couch and saw what she had the twins watching on TV. They were watching Sailor Moon. Ran and Shiori were totally engrossed in it while Ren was spacing out.

"Sailor Moon? Shi-chan, I thought you hated this."

"She did," Ren started, "but there was nothing else on so we settled on this channel and you see what happened."

Makoto nodded and when the main character said her catchphrase, Shiori mimicked her.

"In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" The child said in a triumphant power in her voice as she mimicked the main character's actions. Makoto pinched the bridge of his nose and glared at the TV. "If Shiori ends up cosplaying in her teen years, I'm blaming Ran."

Ran looked up at him and pouted, "Uwaaaah! Don't blame me, onii-chan! Blame the TV for having crappy shows!" Makoto chuckled and continued to watch the Sailor Moon marathon until it came time to give Shiori a bath and put her to bed. He turned the TV off and picked her up then took upstairs to the bathroom. The whole time, Shiori was struggling to get out of her mother's arms.

"Mama! I don't wanna get in the bath! I wanna watch more Sailor Moon!" She whined.

"I know you want to watch more but you need to take a bath and go to bed." he replied as they got to the bathroom.

"Why?"

"Because you don't want people talking about your body odor and you're a growing child who needs her sleep." Makoto explained as he started up the bath. Shiori took off her clothes and, with Makoto's help, got in the tub. Like every night in the tub, she played with her toys while Makoto cleaned her up. A little later, Shiori put her toys down and turned to her mother.

"Mama, who was that man?"

"Huh? Who are you talking about?"

"The man who were yelling at." Makoto stopped rinsing out Shiori's hair when he remembered that when he was yelling at Seijuurou, he must have woken her up.

"Oh, him..."

"Did he hurt your heart too, Mama?"

"He did... not only that but he's the one who almost sent Papa on vacation."

Shiori frowned, "He's the bad man? Why, Mama? Why did he wanna send Papa on vacation?"

"He was jealous because I love Papa, not him. He wanted Papa out of the way so I could love him, but, it wouldn't have worked. Even if Papa were sent on vacation, I would love no one else but him." Shiori slowly nodded as she tried to understand what her mother said.

"Did you used to love the bad man?"

"At one point. When you were a baby, the bad man and I dated but then things happened and we began to argue. I held onto the hope that we could work out our problems and make our relationship work but then we ended and I was in denial until I was forced to face reality and realize that we were over for good."

"Why didn't you two stay together?"

"He tried to force me to make a bad decision."

"Did you make the bad decision?"

"Of course not. He tried to talk me out of it like I'd regret it."

"Do you regret it?"

Makoto smiled, "Not at all." Makoto could never choose anything over his daughter. Not even if it were one billion yen. If Makoto had made that choice to abandon Shiori for a relationship that was bound for disaster, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life. Makoto kissed Shiori's forehead and continued rinsing her hair out. "Sometimes in life you have to make decisions. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad. For example; sometimes adults make decisions that are hard at first, but, in the end, it was the right thing to do."

Shiori pouted, "That doesn't make sense."

"For now it doesn't. When you get older, you'll understand." Shiori nodded and Makoto continued to rinse the suds out of Shiori's hair. After a few more minutes, Makoto took Shiori out of the tub and dried her off. He took her to their room and put her in her rilakkuma kigurumi. Shiori climbed up into bed and curled up under the covers. Makoto tucked her in and changed into his pajamas.

When he got into bed, Makoto watched Shiori sleep. He began to think about what happened between him and Seijuurou four years ago. Their relationship was in a state of complete disrepair and only a miracle would have fixed it. Seijuurou was tired of having play father to a child that wasn't his and having to share Makoto. He was so fed up that he forced Makoto to make a decision; Shiori or their relationship. When Makoto was faced with that choice, he either had to make the right decision and forget having a relationship for a while or make the wrong decision and abandon his child for a shot at love. Of course, he chose his daughter because what kind of parent would choose a doomed relationship over their own child? Those moments of watching his daughter grow up was what made him choose Shiori over Seijuurou. He knew that if he chose him, he'd miss out on those moments and regret it for the rest of his life.

It was hard at first. Their relationship was over and Makoto found himself heartbroken again. He remembered trying to kill himself one night. He stopped because he already made a decision not to abandon Shiori, he couldn't make a decision to actually go through with it. Makoto smiled and gently stroked his daughter's cheek with his index finger. In a way, you could say Shiori saved Makoto's life. Makoto kissed his daughter's forehead.

"Good night, Shi-chan. I love you very much." He whispered as he fell asleep.

* * *

The next day, Sousuke stood facing where the window to Makoto's room. He got released out of the hospital today and he planned to surprise Makoto and Shiori. Yesterday he told Makoto not to leave the house with Shiori since he was sending a surprise in the mail for them. What he didn't tell him was that he was the surprise. How he planned to do it was simple; throw some pebbles and climb in like he used to in high school. Sousuke gathered up some pebbles and threw a few at the window. After a couple of minutes, he threw another one. The window opened and Mrs. Tachibana poked her head out.

"Sousuke, stop trying to break my window and go to the front and knock on the door like a normal person. He's in the living room with Shiori."

"Yes, Mrs. Tachibana." Sousuke replied as he put down the pebbles and walked around to the front door. Once he got there, he knocked on the door and patiently waited until Makoto opened it. When the sandy-haired man saw his boyfriend his eyes began to water as he practically glomped on his boyfriend. Sousuke grunted and caught Makoto in time to pick him up and spin him around. Makoto couldn't keep the smile off his face. Sousuke was finally released from the hospital!

"Is this our surprise?"

"It is. I'm out of the hospital."

"You could have told me."

"Where was the fun in that?" Makoto chuckled and took his hand as he pulled him inside. When they got inside, they went to the living room where Shiori was sitting on the floor drawing something still dressed in her kigurumi. Sousuke smiled and knelt in front of her.

"What you got there, bear cub?"

Shiori looked up and smiled brightly. "Papa!" Shiori stood up and hugged her father tight. Sousuke hugged back until Shiori let go of him and ran upstairs. Makoto and Sousuke looked at each other and shrugged until Shiori came back with something hidden behind her back. Shiori looked up at Sousuke and took out a hand-made drawing. Sousuke took it and looked at it.

The drawing said 'Welcome Home, Papa!' with drawings of himself, Makoto, and Shiori under it holding hands. In the picture they were in a green field surrounded by butterflies. In the background, the sky was blue and there were a few clouds in the sky. The sun even had a smile on its face. What caught Sousuke's eye in the picture was a little house in the corner which had an arrow pointed to it with 'our home' over said arrow. Yesterday he tried to talk to Makoto about moving in together but he was shot down. He did guess that by moving in this early, they would be moving too fast.

"Do you like it Papa?" Shiori asked with hope in her eyes.

"I love it." Sousuke beamed. Shiori smiled and hugged him. Sousuke smiled and picked her up then looked at Makoto. "Did you two have plans for today?"

"Not really. Today was a lazy day for us. Were you thinking of anything?"

"Hmm... I just wanted to spend time with you guys."

Makoto smiled and kissed Sousuke's cheek. "You're sweet. How about we have lunch? I bet you two are hungry." As soon as Makoto said that, Sousuke's phone began to ring. He put Shiori down and looked at his phone to see it was his mother calling him. He gave Makoto an apologetic look as he went out into the hallway to answer it.

"Hey Mom."

 _"Yamazaki Sousuke, where are you and why didn't you tell me you were getting out today?!"_ His mother yelled from the other side oft he phone. Sousuke took the phone away from his ear for a moment before putting it back and carrying on with conversation.

"Sorry, it slipped out of my mind... How do you even know I got out today?"

_"Your father and I went to the hospital and the nurse at the front desk said you checked out and then we went to your apartment and we've been banging on your door and there's no one home! I'm pretty sure we've pissed off some of your neighbors now where the hell are you?!"_

"I'm uh... at a friend's house..."

_"What friend?"_

"You don't know him, his name is Makoto. We met in high school."

_"Ok... Tell me where you are so we can come check up on you."_

"I kind of can't do that..."

_"Why not?"_

"Makoto stepped out for a bit and I'm watching his... cat and she gets spooked by strangers."

_"Um... ok but I really would like to meet your friend."_

"Maybe one day in the future."

_"Fine. Just call me whenever you're free and we can set up a dinner."_

"Sure thing Mom. Love you."

 _"Love you too."_  

With that, Sousuke's mother hung up. Sousuke leaned up against a wall and heavily sighed. Great. He forgot about his parents. His parents were pretty cool about most things but when it came to sexuality, Sousuke didn't know where they stood. They seemed ok with it but his mother always told him to find a beautiful girl and marry her and have children with her. Instead of that, Sousuke met a handsome boy and did him and had a child with him. He could just imagine the way his parents will react when he tells them. His mother will cry about the current situation and his father will sit there saying nothing but the look in his face will tell a thousand words.

"Sousuke, who was that?"

"No one!" Sousuke answered all too quickly. Makoto raised an eyebrow in confusion. He could tell there was something wrong by the look on Sousuke's face and gave him the look that said 'you and I are going to talk about this after lunch.'

"Um... ok. Any time you feel like eating, come to the kitchen. I made some ramen."

"I'm coming."

Makoto walked to the kitchen with Sousuke in tow. The taller man sat down at the table and began to ate his bowl of ramen. After lunch, Shiori went to the living room and watched some anime while Makoto and Sousuke went to Makoto's room to have a private conversation. They were sitting across from each other, staring at one another. Sousuke had his normal stoic expression on his face but underneath he was a little nervous. Thus far, Sousuke had been able to keep his dating life a secret from his parents but now with his mother wanting to meet Makoto, he can't keep it secret any longer.

"Who was on the phone?"

"No one important," Sousuke lied, "it was just work calling me to tell me that I was gonna get about two months leave with pay."

Makoto frowned, "You don't have to lie to me."

"L-Lie? What are you talking about?"

"I'm sure your mother is a nice woman but she needs to learn a little volume control."

"You heard my mother..."

"I heard the whole conversation. Really? You told your mother you were watching my easily spooked cat?"

"Makoto, I'm so sorry."

"Are you ashamed of us?"

Sousuke was taken aback by the question. How could he be ashamed of his family? What was there to be ashamed about? Sure, they weren't a traditional family of a man and woman who loved each other, fucked, and had a baby, but they were still a family. "I'm not ashamed of you."

"Then why didn't you tell the truth?"

"I still haven't come out and to add a child to the mix, that would make things complicated. My parents might actually disown me for all I know."

"Fuck them."

"Eh?"

"If your parents don't like the idea of you being gay and having a daughter, fuck them! What matters is what you think of yourself and that you're surrounded with people who love you. Sure, your parents can make you feel like shit, but, you have people who love you no matter what." When Makoto finished, his eyes began to tear up as past memories of being judged as a single parent flooded his mind. The whispers that followed him, the insults people hurled at him, the looks he received from strangers and family members. All of those unpleasant memories came back to him. Sousuke took Makoto into his arms and held him as he cried.

"Shh... It's ok. You don't have to cry."

"I love you and I don't want you to feel terrible about yourself like I did."

"You got through it."

"I guess I did. All I had to do was remind myself that I had my parents on my side and that I had a child that loved me." Sousuke rubbed Makoto's back and continued to hold him for a few more minutes until Sousuke asked a question. "When do you want to meet my parents?" Makoto gasped and looked up at Sousuke in surprise.

"A-Are you sure? I mean, they may reject you for all you know."

"I don't care. As long as I still have you in my life, their rejection means nothing."

Makoto smiled and kissed Sousuke. The older man smiled and kissed back. Soon their tongues began to fight for dominance and Sousuke easily won that fight as he gently pushed Makoto back onto the bed and pinned him down. They broke apart for air and stared at each other with the love they held for each other shining in their eyes. Sousuke smiled and pulled away from his boyfriend to lay next to him. Makoto nestled into his side and closed his eyes. Sousuke watched him as he absent-mindedly caressed his body. Maybe things would go alright when he told his parents. Hopefully, they'd still accept him.

* * *

Three Days Later

* * *

Sousuke was silently freaking out. Why? Well it may have something to do with the fact that he's going to tell his parents about his current relationship and reveal that he has a child. Three days ago, after he went home, Sousuke called his mother and scheduled a dinner at their house. He told them that he was bringing his 'friend' over and that he had something to tell them. Sousuke walked up to his parents' front door with his family. Tonight they were going to dinner at his parents' house and Sousuke was finally going to come out as well as reveal he has a daughter. He couldn't help but feel nervous about telling his parents about Makoto and Shiori. Though Makoto told him everything would be fine, he couldn't get that nervous feeling out of his stomach.

"Sousuke, are you ok?" Makoto asked gently as he put a hand on Sousuke's shoulder. Sousuke gulped and shook his head. He couldn't lie, he was nervous and he wanted to back out and go home.

"Should we really be doing this?"

"We have to."

"Can't we just cancel and say something came up?"

"I'm not letting you back out of this."

"But what if-"

*DING DONG*

The couple froze in horror and they looked at Shiori after she rang the doorbell. Sousuke felt his heart stop beating the moment he heard footsteps coming from the other side of the door. If he were in a manga, he'd have a dark aura around him and there'd be a trembling sound effect in the background to indicate he was scared as hell; Makoto would be standing there int he same fear as he was; and then there's Shiori completely oblivious ot the doom she'd just put her father in. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the door opened and an older woman appeared.

The woman was wearing a white sweater with a pair of grey colored slacks. Her hair was the same shade Sousuke's was and her eyes were a light cerulean. On her face were very few noticeable, but, at the same time, unnoticeable wrinkles that showed her age as being somewhere in her mid to late 40s. A warm smile spread across her face as she saw Sousuke.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Yamazaki Sousuke gracing me with his presence. And he brought a couple of friends with him!"

"Yea... um, this is my friend I told you about."

Makoto shook her hand. "You must be the Makoto my son mentioned."

"I am, ma'am." Mrs. Yamazaki cast her eyes to Shiori and bent down to her level. "And who might you be?"

"My name is Shiori. Pleasure to meet you Yamazaki-san!" Shiori introduced with a smile. Mrs. Yamazaki smiled and chuckled a little. "You're adorable! Come in, you guys." The woman said as she walked in the house. The family followed her in and went to the living room where Sousuke's father was sitting on the couch going over some work documents. He basically looked like an older version of Sousuke except his hair was starting to grey up a little and there were bags under his eyes and his wrinkles were more predominant. Mrs. Yamazaki sighed and went to her husband's side.

"Honey, put your work away, we've got company." She whispered. Mr. Yamazaki put the papers down and walked over to his son.

"Hey son. Haven't seen you in a long time, where've you been hiding all this time?" The older man greeted as he shook hands with his son. Sousuke smiled and scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry Pops, work is busy and a drunk guy beat me up." Mr. Yamazaki laughed and saw Makoto and Shiori.

"Who are your friends?"

"This is my friend, Makoto and this is his daughter, Shiori." He introduced his family. Mr. Yamazaki smiled and shook Makoto's hand. The brunette fought the urge to scream in pain from the bone-crushing handshake of his boyfriend's father. On the outside he smiled but on the inside, he was screaming bloody murder. Mr. Yamazaki then bent down to Shiori's height and smiled at her.

"And you are...?"

"My name is Shiori. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, sweetpea." He said as she stood up.

"Now that we've gotten the introductions out of the way, it's time for dinner." Mrs. Yamazaki said as she went to the dining room with everyone in tow. Everyone sat at the table and began to eat. For a good ten minutes there was a bit of an awkward silence around the table until Mrs. Yamazaki said something.

"So, Sousuke, how did you and Makoto meet?"

Sousuke glanced at Makoto before he answered. "We meet at a swimming festival. We did a relay against each other and after that, we kind of started hanging out."

"Did you two keep in contact out after high school?"

"No, uh, we didn't. We. . . fell out of contact after high school and life got in the way. We met up again at a park when Shiori's scarf flew away with the wind. I rescued it from a duck pond and after that, we started hanging out again." He may not be telling the full truth, but, it was half of the truth. That's a hell of a lot better than the full thing, right?

"Oh that's just nice! Makoto, sorry if this is too personal, but, where's Shiori's mother?"

Makoto was eating his food and choked on what was in his mouth. This was where things got weird. He looked at Sousuke who just looked away and fixed the collar of his shirt. He looked at Sousuke's mother and smiled sadly. "Um, with all due respect, Mrs. Yamazaki, I don't like talking about Shiori's mother. It's a too painful after what happened between us." Mrs. Yamazaki frowned and nodded in understanding thinking that Makoto and Shiori's "mother" had a falling out and broke up. Silence took over the room again as Makoto glanced at Sousuke with a little hurt shining in his eyes. Sousuke caught the look and knew that Makoto was sad that he was lying to his parents about their relationship. Sousuke licked his lips and took a deep breath. It's now or never.

"Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you."

His parents stopped eating and put their chopsticks down. "What is it, son?" Mr. Yamazaki asked.

"Makoto isn't just my friend. . . he's my boyfriend and Shiori is our daughter. It all sounds confusing, I know, but, it's the truth." There. It was all out in the open. His parents knew the truth. Mr. and Mrs. Yamazaki were shocked to say the least. They weren't saying a word! Sousuke gulped and immediately began to feel the worst. All the anxiety from earlier came back to him and make his stomach churn. After what seemed like an eternity, Mrs. Yamazaki spoke up.

"Honey, who wins the bet? We were both right."

Sousuke's jaw dropped. Bet? There was a fucking bet?!

"I don't know. . . Um. . . should we go in order with what he told us? I mean, first he said Makoto was his boyfriend then he told us we have a granddaughter so. . . I guess I win." Mr. Yamazaki smirked. The woman growled and left the table then came back a couple minutes later with 600 yen. She gave it to her husband while mumbling "asshole" under her breath.

"Uh, what was the bet about?"

Mr. Yamazaki chuckled, "That you'd come out as well as introduce us to our grandchild. While you were in high school, we suspected you were gay but after the phone call when you said 'cat,' your mother suspected we had a grandchild so we made a bet." Sousuke looked to his mother for a better explanation.

"*sigh* The bet was that whichever truth you came out about first, the loser would pay 600 yen to the winner. You came out about Makoto being your boyfriend first so your father won and you, my son, owe me 600 yen." Sousuke and Makoto looked at each other and then back to Sousuke's parents.

"You're really ok with this?" Makoto asked.

"Of course we are! I mean, we would be jerks to disown our son for loving someone of the same gender and deny our grandchild's existence." Mr. Yamazaki answered. Sousuke felt relief flow through his stomach when he heard that. His parents were ok with everything. He won't have to hide anymore! Sousuke began to feel as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"So," Mr. Yamazaki started, "are you two thinking of moving in together soon?"

"We talked about it a few days ago but we decided to wait a little while." Sousuke answered.

"Why is that?"

"Moving in is kind of a big step and we just got back together nearly three months ago."

"For you two, moving in might be a big step, but, what about Shiori? You're parents so you have to do what's in your child's best interest." Sousuke and Makoto looked at each other and shared the same knowing look on their faces. They'd have to talk about moving in again later but, for now, all they could do was think about what Sousuke's father said.

After dinner, everyone sat around the living room for an hour until it came time for Sousuke, Makoto, and Shiori to leave. They said their good-byes and got into Sousuke's car and went to the whale shark's apartment. The car ride over there was silent. Makoto and Sousuke were thinking about the talk they were gonna have later and Shiori, sensing the tension in the car, stayed silent. When they got to Sousuke's apartment, Makoto took Shiori to the bathroom to get her in the tub while Sousuke sat on the couch and heavily sighed as he felt a headache slowly creep into his head. What his father said tonight was really starting to get to him. While he bring up a good point, was it a good idea to move in so soon?

"You're thinking about it too, aren't you?"

Sousuke looked at Makoto as he walked over to his side and sat down next to him. He nodded and ran a hand through his dark locks. "Aren't you supposed to be giving Shiori her bath?"

"I was but then she said she wanted to take a bath by herself so I let her be and told her to call me when she wanted to get out of the tub. Should we start talking about what your father said?"

"Yea. What do you think about it?"

Makoto inhaled and then exhaled, "We have to do what's best for our family. I'm a little shaky on moving in together."

"Why is that?"

"I want to live with you and I want the three of us to be together as a family, but, are we ready to take such a big step?"

Sousuke took Makoto's hand and got on the ground with one knee as if he were proposing to him. Makoto blushed as he saw his boyfriend kneeling in front of him. "Tachibana Makoto, if it means being with you for the rest of my life, I'm up for anything. I love you so much and I want to be with you until my last breath. Makoto, will you do me the honor of making me the happiest bastard on the planet and move in with me?"

"Yes! Of course I'll move in with you!" Makoto cried as he jumped up from the couch and into Sousuke's arms. Sousuke grunted and wrapped his arms around Makoto. They were really doing this. They were really going to move in together.

Sousuke chuckled, "So, how long until we move in together?"

"I dunno. It takes a while to find the perfect home."

"If I'm with you, any home is perfect." Makoto blushed and hid his face in the crook of Sousuke's neck. A smiled graced Sousuke's lips as he continued to hold his boyfriend. A new chapter in his book called life was about to start and he couldn't be happier. Makoto smiled and closed his eyes. Maybe moving in won't be such a bad thing.

* * *

 Moving Day

* * *

"What are you doing?" Makoto asked as he watched Shiori take his swim club jacket out of the box and put it back in the closet.

"Helping you pack."

"That's more like unpacking."

Shiori huffed, "No it's not!" Makoto put the shirt he was holding into the box and almost immediately, Shiori took the shirt out of the box and put it back in the closet. Makoto crossed his arms and gave his daughter a stern look. Shiori pouted and got up on the bed with a defeated look on her face. Makoto stood in front of her and frowned slightly.

"What's going on with you? Ever since your father and I told you we were going to move in together, you haven't been acting like yourself."

A little while ago after they decided to move in together, Makoto broke the news to Shiori the next day on the way home. Her lips pulled themselves down with a frown and she remained silent for the rest of the day. As the days led up to the move, her usual happy aura seemed to disappear. Like any other parent, Makoto noticed and tried to talk to her about it on multiple occassions but every time he tried, Shiori heavily insisted it was nothing and left it at that. Something was bothering her and Makoto had to find out what and why. Shiori still wasn't saying anything. Makoto frowned and sighed. "Shiori, please tell me what's wrong."

"I don't wanna move away."

"Why not?"

"Because if we move away it's forever and that means we won't see any of our friends ever again."

Makoto sat next to her on the bed and pulled her into his lap. Shiori sounded like she was on the verge of crying and needed a hug. "We'll see our friends again."

"We will?" Shiori sniffled.

"Of course we will. They're our family and friends, we have to tell them when we move. Besides, it's not like we're moving out into the countryside or to Tokyo. We're just moving houses."

"Why?"

"Papa and I talked a little while ago and we decided it's best for you if the three of us lived together. Don't you want to live with Papa and I?"

Shiori shrugged and nestled into her mother's chest. "I dunno. I want to live with you and Papa but at the same time I don't wanna leave here. It's home!" Makoto frowned a little. He knew just what Shiori was feeling. He didn't want to leave the place he knew as home for most of his life either, but, things couldn't stay this way forever.

"Hun, home isn't just a place you live in. It's also where your heart is. My heart is with you and Papa so wherever you two are is my home because you we're a family. Now, where's your home?"

"Where my heart is."

"And where is your heart?"

"Wherever you and Papa are."

"Because...?"

"We're a family!" Shiori beamed.

Makoto chuckled, "That's right. Now are you gonna be Mama's good girl and help me pack everything before Papa comes?" Shiori nodded before she jumped off of Makoto's lap and went to the closet to take out the clothing she put back. Makoto smiled as he got up off the bed and continued to pack.

After a while, everything was packed up and ready to go by the time Sousuke got there with his car with a moving van attached to the back of it. They packed the boxes into the van then said their goodbyes to everyone as they got into the car and drove off. Makoto had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming because he couldn't believe this was happening. In thirty minutes, they were at their new home. The house was about two stories tall and almost looked kind of brand new. Sousuke opened the door to the house while Makoto opened up the moving van and started unloading boxes.

Shiori followed her father into the house and walked around, being careful not to bump into anything. Yesterday, the movers came and put in the furniture from her father's apartment and some new things her parents bought a short while ago. It was big, sure, but it wasn't the home she knew. Part of her wanted to look on the bright side of things but another part of her wanted things to stay the way they used to be. She frowned as she walked upstairs. This house came with four bedrooms and three baths, one of which was in the master bedroom. Shiori went into her room which had a stuffed bear sitting on her bed. Cocking her head in a curious manner, she walked up to the bear with a tophat, bowtie, and a note pinned to it. She unpinned the note and read it.

Dear Kid,

I hope you found Kuma-kun alright. I've had him ever since I could rememeber. He helped me through tough times and I think he can help you, if you need him to. I heard the people moving in had a kid with them and I figured that you needed him more than I did. Moving can be a big adjustment but you'll get used to it! I know what it's like to move from a familiar home to a new home. You'll get used to it and it'll be ok.

Signed,  
The Previous Owner

Shiori finished off the note with a little smile as she clutched the bear. Maybe she could learn to enjoy the move.

"What do you have there?" A voice came from the doorway. Shiori turned around and saw her mother holding a box labelled 'Shiori's clothes.' She smiled and held up the bear.

"I found a teddy bear in here! There was a note that said he was from the last person who lived here!"

Makoto put the box down and read the note. He had to hide a smirk when he saw the handwriting on the note since he knew whose it was. "That's great! Maybe the previous owner was looking out for you. Now come on, you can play with your bear later. Right now you've got to put your things away." Shiori put her bear down and began to put away the clothes in the box. Makoto smiled and walked to his room where Sousuke was putting their things away. He walked up behind his boyfriend and wrapped his arms around him. Startled, Sousuke jumped a little then relaxed when he realized he was in Makoto's arms.

"Hey there. How's Shiori?"

Makoto hummed. "She seems better about moving in. She just found a stuffed bear in her room."

"Oh, she did? Who do you think left it for her?"

"Well... the note said it was from the previous owner but I don't think it's from them. I think you had a little something to do with it." Sousuke blushed a little. It's true. He did buy the bear for Shiori and write the note. He had good reason! She seemed depressed about the move and needed a little pick-me-up in the form of a cuddly inanimate animal. He turned around in Makoto's arms and scratched the back of his head.

"You know... she seemed a little sad about moving... I just thought... she needed a friend..." Sousuke stammered. Makoto laughed and kissed his cheek.

"I won't tell her the truth. That was sweet of you, though."

Sousuke turned around in Makoto's arms and wrapped his arms around his waist. They looked at each other with the love they had for each other showing in their eyes. Sousuke bumped noses with Makoto and gave him an Eskimo kiss. Makoto blushed a little and giggled as he slowly kissed his boyfriend. Sousuke had no problem returning the kiss as he sat down on their bed with Makoto straddling his lap. Soon enough their kiss ended and Makoto rested his forehead against Sousuke's.

"I love you so much." Makoto whispered lovingly.

"I love you too. I'm glad we live together. Welcome home."

Makoto giggled and kissed Sousuke again before he got off his lap and went to packing the rest of their things. Sousuke followed him and helped him pack everything. Once everything in their room was packed, Sousuke and Makoto were exhausted. They fell back on the bed, tired from getting their things packed up. Makoto curled up next to his boyfriend and laid his head on his chest. Sousuke wrapped his arms around him and kissed his forehead.

"Tired?"

Makoto nodded, "Yes. I don't feel like cooking dinner tonight. Do you?"

"*chuckles* We haven't even gone downstairs and unpacked everything we got for the kitchen."

"Take-out?"

"Take-out."

"Maybe take-out will be our always."

Makoto laughed and as he listened to Sousuke's steady heartbeat. **BA DUMP. BA DUMP. BA DUMP.** He closed his eyes as he listened and began to fall asleep to the calming rhythm as if it were some kind of lullaby. Sousuke saw Makoto beginning to get tired as he began to hear soft snores from his love's lips. He rubbed his back soothingly as he watched his angel fall asleep. Sometimes he considered himself lucky Makoto actually took him back. Knowing how much he hurt he caused for him in the past, it was a bit relieving for Makoto to actually take him back. He didn't fully have Makoto's trust again but he was gaining it little by little. Knowing that Makoto's still in love with him is a small miracle in itself. He kissed Makoto's forehead as he closed his eyes and began to fall alseep next to him. From this point on, Sousuke felt like like is going to get better for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked that! Sorry if I made things move too fast, I just wanted to be done with this chapter! Also, you might have noticed that the Archive Warning changed from No Archive Warnings Apply to Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings and I kind of wanted to explain that a little before people began asking questions. You see, when I got the idea for this story I planned it out with a chapter map so nothing would be too half-assed and have been following it accordingly but the way chapters 17-23 were originally supposed to go didn't seem to fit in anymore like I thought they would when I first wrote out the map so I changed things up and I'm trying not to spoil anything, but let's just say some heavy shit goes down and someone is gonna get hurt and I don't know if I really wanna fuck them up or not so for now I'm going to keep the Archive Warning where it is until I get to that point. Or maybe I'll just leave it that way. Idk, I'm not there yet; I'll know when I get there. So, uh, this ends this End Note so I hope you guys liked the latest chapter! Sorry it took so long, I hope you didn't mind the wait!


	12. Of Aquariums and Jealous Exes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family day at the aquarium leads to Makoto doubting Sousuke and everything they have

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me if my knowledge of aquariums sucks, I haven't been to one in years

"We're here!" Shiori beamed as the aquarium came into view.

Today was family day and Shiori got to pick where they went. She picked the aquarium since they just added a brand new section where visitors can touch some of the fish. Sousuke parked the car and sighed heavily as he looked down at his shirt. Prior to today's outing, Makoto made him a shirt that said 'If lost, please return to Makoto'. He didn't want to wear the shirt because he thought of it as embarrassing but Makoto gave him the pouty face and even got Shiori to join him. The only way out of that kind of situation was to just agree. He should count himself lucky that he wasn't alone in wearing this thing. Makoto made their daughter wear the same thing.

"Stop pouting, Sousuke. You look fine!" Makoto giggled. Sousuke glared at him. How the shit could he possibly look fine?! People are going to laugh! Especially when the fucking shirt actually works its magic! They got out of the car and went inside the building. It was full of people walking around and enjoying what the aquarium had to offer. Sea creatures swimming around in their tanks, guides giving information about the sea creatures, tour groups, and everything else you'd see at an aquarium.

"What should we do first?" Sousuke asked.

"I wanna go to the touch tanks!"

"Ok, I guess we ca-"

"Sousuke!" A random voice shouted. The man in question turned around and found the source of the voice then regretted it. Kisumi was running towards him with a big smile on his face. Great. Just what he needed right now, his ex-boyfriend showing up during what should be a peaceful family outing. Kisumi finally caught up to them and panted a little.

"Hey! What are you guys doing here?"

"Enjoying a family day. What the hell are you doing here?" For that Makoto lightly hit Sousuke's good shoulder. Kisumi frowned and looked hurt by his ex-boyfriend's choice of words.

"Jeez, can't a guy just come to the aquarium alone and enjoy looking at aquatic life?"

Makoto frowned, "You're alone?"

"Yea. I tried to get people to come with me but everyone was busy."

"Why don't you come with us? We wouldn't mind someone tagging along, wouldn't we?" Sousuke and Shiori shared the same looks on their faces. Sousuke didn't want the pink-haired menace to join them because he would probably start up some shit and Shiori didn't want him to tag along because she found him creepy. Reluctantly, the both nodded and forced smiles on their faces.

"Kisumi-san can come with us." Shiori smiled even though she surpressing her urge to cry. Kisumi smiled and bowed.

"Thanks for letting me tag along!"

"Oh, it's no problem at all. We're happy to have some come with."

After that, the group went off to the newly added section of the aquarium. There weren't that many people in the room when they got there. Only five people petting the fish. Shiori giggled and ran over to a tank with the star fish. She rolled up her sleeves and put her hand in the tank and touched a starfish. Under her touch, the starfish felt kind of bumpy. Makoto walked over to the tank and stood next to his daughter.

"What do the starfish feel like, honey?"

"They're bumpy and hard like rocks."

Sousuke watched his family with a smile. It was nice to have a day off with his family, even if there was a little pink-haired nuisance added to the mix. Speaking of a certain pink-haired nuisance, Kisumi was standing next to him with a mischevious look in his eye. He came to this aquarium on purpose. His plan to get Sousuke back was to make him look like he was unfaithful to his current partner then get Makoto alone and try to convince him that everything he thought he had with Sousuke wasn't real. Part of Kisumi almost felt bad for doing this to an old friend but that doopy-eyed orca needed to know about the relationship he fucked up.

Kisumi put his first plan into action by faking a heart attack. He knew Sousuke knew CPR and faking a heart attack was the way to trick his ex into locking lips with him. He clutched his chest in pain and groaned as he collapsed to the ground. Everyone in the room looked at him and began to go into a panic. Sousuke, genuinely believing that his ex was in danger, sprang into action. He pumped Kisumi's chest a few times and then placed his lips over his. He repeated the process two times before Kisumi responded but he was taken by surprise when Kisumi wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed back. Sousuke pried Kisumi off of him and wiped his mouth as he sent a little glare Kisumi's way. The pinkette was unaffected by the glare as he gave Sousuke a flirtatious look and licked his lips.

"Are you ok, Kisumi?" Sousuke asked even though he wanted to run away.

"I'm fine now, thanks to you~" Kisumi flirted as he touched Sousuke's hand. Nothing when unnoticed by Makoto. The kiss, the flirting, he noticed it and became a bit angry. His eye twitched when he saw the smug look on Kisumi's face. If he weren't in public and Shiori wasn't in the same room, Makoto would've punched that look off of his face. After the little incident in the petting room, they walked over to where the whales were.

They walked through the whale tanks until they came across the orcas. Makoto kept a close eye on Kisumi. After what just happened in the other room, he was now wondering if he could trust Kisumi around his boyfriend. He didn't want to be one of those boyfriends who controlled who his partner was allowed to talk to but if this kept up, he just might have to be that kind of boyfriend. As they watched the orcas, Kisumi smirked as he saw another opportunity to try and flirt with Sousuke in order to mess with Makoto. He grabbed Sousuke's arm and felt his muscles.

"Ooh~ Have you been working out? You're so strong and your muscles are so ripped~"

"Are you Gou in disguise?! Get the fuck off of me!" Sousuke whispered/yelled. Kisumi only giggled and nuzzled his head against Sousuke's good shoulder.

"Why? Your muscles just feel so... firm and tight~ Just like your ass~" He said in a husky tone as he gropped Sousuke's butt. Makoto watched them with a furious look in his eye. It wasn't like him to get like this but something about watching the way Kisumi interacts with Sousuke is making him jealous. He wanted to grab Kisumi by the hair and smash his face into the wall, repeatedly. If he didn't stop this now, soon he could be coming home to Sousuke in bed with Kisumi! Oh hell no! The only way that would happen is if he were dead!

"Mama, Mama! Look! An orca's waving at us!"

Makoto snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Shiori grab his attantion. He turned to the tank and came face-to-face with an orca who was bumping her nose against the tank. The brunette smiled and waved a little at the whale. In response the orca nuzzled her head against the glass. A slight chuckle sounded behind him. Makoto turned around and turned to see a woman in a wetsuit with black hair tied back in a pony tail and charcoal grey eyes.

"Looks like Saki likes you."

"I guess she does. Are you her trainer?"

"Yes, I am. My name's Hotaru. What's yours?" Hotaru introduced, extending her hand to Makoto.

"Makoto. Nice to meet you." Makoto shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you too. Saki's a really friendly orca. She gets along with pretty much everyone."

"Really?" Shiori asked.

"Really. She makes it easy being her trainer. Usually it takes an animal two months before they actually like me but with Saki it took a day."

"Wow... that's so cool! What's it like being an animal trainer?"

"It's fun. I get to perform in front of an audience with my favorite sea animal, I make an aquatic friend, I get good pay, and I get to come here for free on my days off."

"That's so cool!"

Hotaru smiled and looked at Makoto. "Y'know, if your daughter wants to see Saki in action there's a show in an hour."

Shiori gasped and jumped up and down in excitement. "Can we? Can we? Can we? Pleeeeeaaaaaaase?" Makoto laughed and pat her head.

"Of course we can. Just let me get Papa and Kisumi." Makoto turned around to see Kisumi pinning Sousuke to a wall whilst their lips were crashed together.

Seeing that made Makoto's heart break a little. They were kissing and Sousuke wasn't even pushing him away! That bastard! Makoto cleared his throat and Kisumi broke away from Sousue with a devilish smirk while Sousuke looked disgusted with what just happened. Makoto felt his heart pounding heavily in his chest as the hot sting of tears came back to his eyes. He didn't want to believe that Sousuke would willingly cheat on him but the proof was right there! They kissed and Sousuke didn't even try to struggle.

Hotaru frowned at the cotton candy-haired male. She didn't even know him all that well but even she could tell that what he was doing was just wrong. She looked at Makoto with worry and saw that he looked like he was about to start crying. Even though she just met him, Hotaru could tell Makoto was a nice guy and she wanted to help him. She nudged Makoto's shoulder a little and leaned into his ear.

"If you wanna have a little chat with Pinky, there's an empty supply closet down the hall you can use. I'll take your boyfriend and daughter to the stadium."

"No, it's fine. I'll deal with it on my own time."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Alright then... see you in an hour?"

"We'll be there." Makoto smiled with a little sadness. Hotaru pat his shoulder and went on her way but not before sending a disapproving glare Kisumi's way. Kisumi rolled his eyes then had the audacity to give Makoto an innocent look like he hadn't just been caught frenching someone's boyfriend.

"Gomen ne, we just got caught up in the moment. Now what were you and that lady talking about?"

"She told me about a show that's gonna happen in an hour with one of the orcas and Shiori wants to go... do you wanna go?"

"Of course! Let's head out!"

The group walked to the stadium. During the walk, Makoto thought about what he saw with Sousuke and Kisumi. He wanted to believe Sousuke would never willingly go through with cheating on him but seeing that made Makoto skeptical and a little heartbroken. Sousuke wouldn't do this to their family. He wouldn't throw everything they had away for a one-night thrill. Sousuke wouldn't hurt him again; he said so himself. But then again, Sousuke could have lied to him. He practically lied to Makoto once, there was a good chance he could do it again. Makoto frowned. He didn't want to be this way. His heart had been broken too many times, he couldn't take anymore of that kind of pain.

They made it to the stadium where it was half-way full seeing as it was thirty minutes before the start of the show. When they got their seats, Makoto and Kisumi were sitting on either side of Sousuke and Shiori was next to her mother. Makoto yawned a little and laid his head on Souuske's shoulder. Sousuke looked at him and smiled softly as he wrapped an arm around him and kissed his forehead. Makoto forwned slightly as he felt his lover's arms around him. He wanted to shove him off and tell him to keep his fucking hands to himself but, again, he was in public and he didn't want to fight in front of Shiori.

"Tired?" Sousuke whispered.

"Just a little."

"Wanna go home after this?"

"No. I'm fine, really. Shiori and I will enjoy the aquarium while you and Kisumi go off and play tongue tag somewhere!" Makoto quietly snapped in a bitter tone as he gently shoved Sousuke off of him.

"You know I love you, right?"

Makoto scoffed and rolled his eyes. Love? Was love when you show someone you care deeply about them or when you kiss someone else right in front of them? Sousuke knew Makoto was still steamed about earlier. He could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice that he was pissed the hell off. He couldn't blame him for being mad, though. How is one supposed to act when they see their partner locking lips with someone that isn't them? Shake it off like it doesn't bother them? Yea, holding it in seems like a good idea. Sousuke licked his lips and took Makoto's hand in his.

"I'm sorry. I fucked up and I know that but you gotta believe that I would never dream of cheating on you. Don't you trust me?" Makoto looked at him and kissed him. Sousuke kissed back and closed his eyes. They stayed like that for a minute before Makoto pulled away and lightly bumped his forehead against his.

"I love you a lot, Yamazaki Sousuke, there's no doubt about that. But... I'm still learning to trust you so bear with me, hm?"

Sousuke smiled. "I will, no matter how long it takes."

"How does the rest of our lives sound?"

"Perfect." Before they had another chance to kiss again, applause started and Hotaru came out from backstage. They broke apart as the show began.

During the show, Kisumi snuck glances at Sousuke and Makoto. He heard them make up after hearing that little spat about what happened near the orca tank earlier. That was good, but not good enough! He needed piss off Makoto enough to make him break up with Sousuke. At this point, Kisumi didn't even care that he was breaking up a family. War comes with many casualties one must prepare for and if a family got destroyed in the process, then a family was gonna get destroyed. Kisumi yawned and leaned in close to his ex as he nuzzled his head into his shoulder.

"Isn't this fun, Sousuke?"

"I guess now get off my shoulder." Sousuke grunted as he tried to nudge Kisumi off.

Kisumi pouted, "What happened to us? You tell me you love me one day and the next, you're avoiding me like the plague in front of your family!"

Makoto heard the commotion going on next to him and sighed. He didn't have to sit there and watch this. He got up and left the staduim without a word as to where he was going. Makoto walked to the nearest bathroom which, thankfully, was empty. Makoto went over to a sink and splashed some water on his face. He had to calm himself down and think. Sousuke loved him and their small family. He wouldn't do anything to hurt them. It wasn't in Sousuke to do such a thing!

"He's playing you for a sap. You should just end your relationship, take your daughter, and go back to whatever miserable life you used to lead."

Makoto froze when he heard that voice. He looked in the mirror and saw Kisumi standing behind him, leaning against the beam between two bathroom stalls. He inwardly groaned. Kisumi was the last person he wanted to see right now. The cotton candy-haired man was leaning on the beam with a cold, taunting smirk plastered across his face and his amethyst eyes flashed all the hatred he held withing himself. Makoto pressed his lips together and heaved a heavy sigh.

"What do you want?"

"To make sure you're ok. You left so abruptly, I began to worry." Kisumi lied through his teeth as he twirled some of his hair through his fingers. Makoto gripped the sink and didn't bother to look at him. He couldn't stomach looking at him; he couldn't even stand his presence.

"Bullshit!" Makoto hissed.

Kisumi gasped, "What if Shiori were to hear you talk like that?!"

"She's not here so we can be ourselves. What do you say we just drop the bullshit and get straight to the point?"

"Heh. Anything so you can start the waterworks..."

Makoto rolled his eyes and turned around to glare at Kisumi. "Why were you kissing and touching my boyfriend?" He had to--no. He _deserved_ to know why his old friend was acting intimate with his boyfriend. He could chalk Kisumi being at the same place at the same time to tracking software in Sousuke's car and/or phone.

"Would you believe me if I told you that before Sousuke found out about your kid and went crawling back to you, he was dating me?"

The words poured form Kisumi's lips like alcohol and Makoto found himself intoxicated by their bitter truth. Makoto's heart stopped when he heard that. Souuske and Kisumi used to date... even to him that didn't seem like a good match! His throat began to tighten as his breathing began to run ragged. "Y-you and Sousuke... used to date?!"

"Yea. Surprised?"

"I can't even _see_ you guys together!"

"Whether or not you can see us together, we were a thing and that thing happened. He fucked me for three years and then left me for you which for the life of me, I can't fucking understand. I mean why would he crawl back to you knowing he was in for hell?"

"He wanted to be in his daughter's life and, obviously, I have something that you don't otherwise he wouldn't be back with me."

"Or maybe he was missing your naive ass and wanted to find a reason to come crawling back to you which would be through your little brat."

"What do you mean?"

"Hun, he may seem like he's ready to settle down and raise a family with you but the sad truth is that he's just using that wanna be a good dad line to get you in the sack. Hmph... then again, guys will do and say anything for a hot piece of ass like you; even play House for a little while."

Makoto snorted, "All I hear from your mouth is crap because Sousuke would never hurt me like that again! It's not in him to put me through that kind heartbreak again!"

"Keep telling yourself that. Sooner or later he'll get tired of playing Papasuke and he'll want me back and when he does, I'll be waiting with open arms, a sexy smirk, and open legs; unlike you who welcomes him home with open arms, a snot-nosed brat, and some burnt shit you call dinner..."

"Why are you saying all of this?! What did I ever do to you?" Makoto blew up. He couldn't bear to hear any of this anymore! Sousuke would never grow tired of him!

"You took my boyfriend away from me and I want him back!"

"I didn't have a thing to do with that! He _chose_ to leave you for us and he'll never go back to you! Why would he even _want_ to go back to you?!"

Kisumi smirked, "It's as I said earlier; one day he'll get tired of mundane home life and then everytime he isn't at home playing pretend with you and Shiori, he'll be fucking me." Maktoo looked at his old friend in disgut. He couldn't recognize him! The person he was looking at wasn't his friend anymore. This person he was looking at was now a monster consumed by jealousy. Kisumi was now his enemy. He narrowed his eyes at him as he regained his composure.

"Stay away from Sousuke."

"Face reality; Sousuke doesn't give a fuck about you or that little bastard of yours and when he comes to his senses, he'll come back to me!" That was when Makoto saw red. Faster than the speed of light, Makoto punched Kisumi then grabbed him by the collar and pinned him to a wall. Makoto didn't want to have to punch Kisumi like that but he was fed up with him and pissed. He  didn't want to hear anything else Kisumi was saying and, frankly, he was sick of that smug look Kisumi had been sporting the whole time.

"Don't you _ever_ speak about my daughter like that again. And I'll say this again; _stay the fuck_ _away from Sousuke._ " Makoto growled through gritted teeth.

"I'll stay away from him..." Kisumi coughed, "but is he gonna stay away from me?"

Makoto let go of Kisumi then walked out of the bathroom. He was right. Sousuke could easily lie about where he was going. For all he knew, everytime Sousuke said he was coming home late, he could have been with Kisumi. He didn't want to believe the things that were said but what if they were true? What if Sousuke was just using him again? What if everything that's happened so far was Sousuke trying to get him in bed again? Was Sousuke cheating on him? Makoto didn't know what to think anymore. He felt like his world was crumbling down around him and he wasn't in control anymore. He made his way back to the stadium which was emptying out. Sousuke and Shiori were standing in front waiting for him. Makoto took a deep breath and put a smile on his face as he walked into view. Shiori spotted him and ran up to him.

"Mama! You missed the show!" She pouted. Sousuke walked up to them and gave Makoto a kiss on the cheek.

"You ok?"

"I'm just fine. How was the show?"

"It was great! At the end, Hotaru-san let me come up and feed Saki some fish! When I did, Saki bumped her nose into mine and gave me an esmo kiss!"

"Esmo kiss?"

Sousuke chuckled, "She means an Eskimo kiss. Where's Kisumi?"

"Uh well... he said he was going home because he didn't want to intrude on our family day anymore." Makoto lied. it wasn't exactly what happened but after he roughed him up a little, Kisumi had to have gone home. Sousuke could tell in Makoto's voice that something happened but he didn't want to start anything. It was family day and he wasn't about to let a public spat ruin it. After some talking, the family made their way to the seals to continue their day.

* * *

~Sunset~

* * *

By sundown, the family was leaving the aquarium. Sousuke was carrying the things they got at the souvenir shop and Makoto was carrying their exhausted child. The day was fun and almost seemed like it was never ending. The tacky shirts Makoto made worked their magic a few times when Sousuke got lost on his way back from the bathroom or when Shiori wandered off by herself. Today was filled with with smiles and laughs which buried feelings of depression and doubt. In the back of his mind, Makoto thought about the things Kisumi said earlier. His mind tried to tell him that Kisumi was nothing more but a jealous ex-boyfriend trying to get back at him but when he thought about Sousuke's earlier actions, he found himself believing his words.

They got to Souuske's car and piled in. Shiori was asleep so that left Makoto and Sousuke to talk with each other. The ride home was awkward to say the least. It was full of tension! Makoto wanted to be blunt and ask Sousuke the questions that had been racing through his mind all day and Sousuke knew that something was bothering his boyfriend. The only sounds that were in the car were the gentle hums from the engine, the radio, and their daughter's gentle snores. Sousuke sighed and cut off the radio.

"What's wrong with you? Every since you came back from wherever the hell you were during the orca show, you seem like you have a lot on your mind."

Makoto faked a smile. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry."

"I can tell when you're lying. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, keep driving."

"You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I know I can but really, nothing's wrong so don't worry about it."

Sousuke wanted to say something but then he closed his mouth. He wasn't going to get anything out of Makoto any time soon. Within two hours, the family was back home. Makoto got out of the car and carried Shiori into their home. Makoto frowned slightly as he walked through the walls of the house. Was everything they had a lie? He didn't want to believe it, but doubt crept into his mind. He took Shiori to her room and gently woke her up.

"Mama?" Shiori yawned as she woke up.

"Hey sleepy head," He whispered, "you gotta put on your pajamas."

"Can I be Rilakkuma again?"

"Sure." Makoto chuckled as he put his daughter on her bed and got out her Rilakkuma onesie. He helped her into her onesie and when she was ready for bed, he tucked her in, gave her Kuma-kun, and gave herr a kiss goodnight. He left her room and walked to his own. When he got there, the room was empty.

Makoto sighed in relief. He didn't want to talk about what happened with Kisumi tonight. The brunette stripped himself down to his underwear and put the clothes in the hamper then walked to the dresser and put on one of Sousuke's sweatshirts which is a little bit too big for him and comes down to just above his knees. As if on cue, Sousuke came into the room and blushed slightly when he saw Makoto wearing his shirt. Makoto turned his head to look at him and smiled softly.

"I hope you don't mind that I'm borrowing one of your shirts."

"Um... no. I don't mind at all. Makoto, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What happened with Kisumi?"

Makoto visibly froze before he answered, "I told you; he said he was going home early because he didn't want to intrude on our family day."

"I don't believe you."

"How can y-"

"Something happened between you two. You're not exactly the master of deceit; your body language gives it away that something happened so what the hell happened?" Makoto sat on the bed and stayed silent. He didn't want to talk abotu this; couldn't Sousuke just understand that? Sousuke sighed and sat next to Makoto. "You know you can tell me whatever's on your mind, right? I promised you I'd be here to listen when you need to talk." Makoto snorted. The last time Sousuke ever made him a promise it was broken.

"Just like you told me you'd never hurt me again?"

Sousuke looked at Makoto in confusion and disbelief, "Makoto-"

"Let me ask you this; what am I to you? A game?"

"You're not a game to me, Makoto. You know I'd never do that to you!"

"Somehow I doubt that."

"What makes you doubt that? What did Kisumi say to you to make you doubt that?"

"Kisumi told me that you were just using me again but this time, you used Shiori to get me in bed with you again because I'm a hot piece of ass. He said that one day you'll get tired of family life and everytime you aren't at home with me and Shiori, you'll be fucking him... he even said you didn't care about us!" Makoto frowned deeply. Sousuke growled lowly as he took his boyfriend into his arms and held him as he cried. He knew Kisumi was pissed about their break-up, but he didn't know he'd stoop this low. Honestly, he thought his ex would move on with his life. Makoto looked up at Sousuke with his deep frown still etched on his face. "Was Kisumi telling me the truth?"

Sousuke wiped the tears that managed to escape from Makoto's eyes. "He was lying. I'm not using you again and I'd be an asshole if I were and using our daughter to get you in the sack. I'll never get tired of this life. You and Shiori are the best things that ever happened to me and I'll never get tired of the life we've created and I'll never go back to him. Babe, I care about you two a lot; don't you ever doubt that for a second. Even if I wanted to stop caring, there's no way I could." Makoto felt stupid for ever doubting Sousuke. He knew kisumi was lying but, knowing Sousuke knack for lying to him, he found his broken heart and busted trust poisoned with the hate-filled lies Kisumi fed him.

"Kisumi was right about one thing." Sousuke spoke up, "You are a hot piece of ass. But you're a hot piece of ass I want to spend the rest of my life with." Makoto smiled and straddled Sousuke's lap and wrapped his arms around his neck.

"I love you so much Sousuke. I want to be with you until my last breath."

"As do I." Sousuke responded as he kissed Makoto. Makoto kissed back as he felt his heart beginning to pick up speed. The feeling of their lips locked together always made Makoto's heart beat fast. Whenever they kissed, it felt like the first time. Soon they broke apart because of the lack of air. They looked at each other with the love they had for each other showing in their eyes. Makoto thought of another question that was swimming around in his head and frowned slightly.

"I just thought of something else; did you and Kisumi really used to date before we got back together?"

"*sigh* Unfortunately, yes."

"What did you see in him? Why were you even with him in the first place?"

"It was three years ago. I realized what the fuck I did to you and that I still loved you deeply but by that time, I thought I was too late. I thought you moved on with your life so I was gonna try and move on with mine and I saw a chance to move on in Kisumi. At first things were great but then I learned he had a sex drive I couldn't keep up with and... that relationship went downhill."

"Why'd you break up?"

"The day I found out I was Shiori's father, I told him and... long story short, I made a choice to be a father and win your heart back and Kisumi got mad at my choice." Makoto frowned deeply. So that's what Kisumi was talking about when he said he'd stolen Sousuke from him.

"You gave up a relationship for me and Shiori?"

"We were a match made in hell; breaking up was an inevitability." Makoto buried his face in the crook of Sousuke's neck.

"Do you ever miss him?"

"Hell no. I've got you so how can I miss him?"

Makoto smiled and nuzzled Sousuke's neck. He was delighted to know that Sousuke would never miss his ex nor would he ever think about going back to him. Makoto was relieved to say the least. He got off Sousuke's lap and got into bed. Sousuke smiled at him then stripped down to his boxers and climbed in next to Makoto. Makoto tangled his legs with Sousuke's and cuddled into him. Sousuke wrapped his arms around him and captured his lips in a soft kiss.

"Good night, Sousuke. I love you."

"Sweet dreams, Makoto. I love you too." And they both fell asleep, tangled in each other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was chapter 12 everybody, I hope you liked it! Sorry if it sucked and ended a bit too quick!


	13. Hands of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Haru's lives change forever, Sousuke and Makoto talk about their future then smexy times ensue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! Here's the part of the story where RinHaru gets as much screen time as SouMako! Enjoy~

Life was an unpredictable and uncontrollable affair. One minute you're on top of the world, nothing can drag you down, your life is as perfect as it can be almost as if it were one long summer day. The next minute, it can all come crashing down right in front of you and suddenly, everything you've ever known seems like a lie and you're suddenly lost in the darkness with no hope of crawling back out to the light. That is what happened to one Nanase Haruka. One day, his life was just perfect. He had a well-paying job at a café, a boyfriend who loved him dearly, and they were going to start a family together. The next day, his life came crumbling down right in front of him. It was so sudden. The day it happened started out like any other day.

Haru stirred awake as the rain tapped on the window. Blue eyes scanned the room and slowly adjusted to the dim lighting. He tried to get up but the bed's other occupant tightened their grip around his waist. Haru turned his head and saw a half-awake/half-asleep Rin staring at him through half-lidded eyes. They'd been dating since high school and their relationship was still strong to this day. Sometimes, Haru almost felt like he was he was dead and living in heaven. Most relationships would have ended by now but Rin and Haru were soulmates. They were practically made for each other! Haru turned on his side to face him and snuggled into him a little.

"Rin, not today."

"Let's just stay home today..." Rin slurred.

"We have work today. You know we can't afford to skip."

"Remind me why." Haru put Rin's hand on his stomach and let him feel the bump that was forming.

"For Kiyoshi, remember? Babies are expensive and Makoto proved that. We need as much money as we can get so everything needed for a baby."

"I know, but, I don't like the thought of you working that hard. What if something happens?"

"If something were to happen, it would have happened already. I've told you a million times, we're fine. I'm fine, you're fine, Kiyoshi's fine, everything is ok. Remember the plan; I work at the café until I'm six months along and then I'll hang up the apron, have the baby, then be your dutiful housewife and we live happily ever after for the rest of our lives."

Rin chuckled and kissed Haru's cheek. "Where's the part where we get married and then we have more babies?"

"Somewhere in the middle of everything, we'll get married and have more. But for right now, let's just focus on the one we're gonna have." Haru replied as he got out of the bed and went to the bathroom. He started the tub and waited for the water to get to the right temperature before he stripped down to his jammers and climbed in. Haru settled down in the tub and relaxed in the water. He closed his eyes and let himself sink in the water. Every morning before work, Haru did this and since he found out he was pregnant, he'd been doing this more often. Rin followed him to the bathroom and knelt to the side of the tub and ran his fingers through Haru's hair.

"I love you a lot, Haru. I'd do anything for you and to make sure you and Kiyoshi are safe, happy, and healthy."

"I know you would and that's one of the things I love about you. I'm gonna tell Makoto and Nagisa today."

"Why?"

"They asked questions during our lunch break yesterday. I'm starting to show and now that I am, I have to come clean. You should probably tell Sousuke."

"Ok. Are you almost done soaking in there? I need to wash up."

"I just got in here. Maybe, we can share the bath?" Haru suggested as he gave Rin some room. The redhead smiled and stripped naked then got in the tub with Haru. Haru smiled and laid against Rin. The redhead raised an eyebrow and looked at Haru in confusion.

"Jammers again?"

"Force of habit." Haru simply answered as he snuggled into his boyfriend. Rin laughed. Some things just never seem to change. The couple stayed like that until it was time for Rin to get out and get ready for work. Haru stayed in the bath until he had to get out and make Rin a little something to eat for lunch. He put on a bathrobe and went down to the kitchen and began to make lunch for his boyfriend. By the time he was done, Rin was in his uniform and in the kitchen. Haru picked up the bento and gave it to Rin.

"Here, eat this." Rin raised an eyebrow and took the bento from his boyfriend.

"You didn't have to make this for me. I was gonna get a cup of ramen like I usually do at lunch time."

"I don't want you to eat that. You're not in college."

Rin smiled and kissed Haru. "Only for you. Have a good day at work and be careful."

"You know I will. Now go before you're late." Rin laughed and kissed Haru's cheek then ran out of the house.

Haru made his own lunch then went upstairs to get dressed for work. Before he put his shirt on, he stared at his stomach. He still couldn't believe he was pregnant with Rin's child. He was in his fourth month and he'd started to show more. When he first found out, he was shocked, excited, happy, a little scared and anxious. Haru tried to imagine what the baby would be like and imagine what career path Kiyoshi would take. Rin once said that with all the baths Haru took, he wouldn't be surprised if Kiyoshi ending up being a swimmer. Maybe the baby would end up being a swimmer, maybe not. All Haru knew was that he wanted his baby to be happy.

Once Haru finished up getting dressed, he was out of the house and on his way to work. He'd been working at the café for quite a few years now. With how impressive his cooking was, Haru had been offered jobs at some restaurants that were more his level but he never took the offer. Most of the restaurants he was offered a job at were in Tokyo and for Haru, that meant he'd have to sell the house and move to Tokyo. Although Haru knew he'd get more money in Tokyo, he was content working in the café. Besides, he was used to living in Iwatobi and he believed that the city wasn't the place to raise a child. Haru got to the café and began to get to work as the morning rush piled in.

* * *

~Time Skip~

* * *

"Haru! It's break time, you got an hour!"

Haru was relieved when he heard that. He hung up his hat and left the café. Everyday at their lunch break--since they took their break was at the same time--Haru, Makoto, and Nagisa ate lunch together. Today was the day Haru was going to tell them about Kiyoshi since they asked about his baby bump yesterday. His plan was to wait until he was showing to tell his friends about the baby and since he was showing, he had to tell them. The coffee shop was across the street from where he was. If Haru knew what fate had in store for him that day, he wouldn't have walked out in the street. At the same time he walked out in the street, a reckless driver was speeding. The black-haired male heard the sound of screeching tires and turned around just in time to see bright lights before the car hit him and he flew backwards.

Luckily, Makoto and Nagisa saw the collision and ran out of the shop. When they got to their friend, the scene was worse than they'd imagined. Haru was lying in the ground in his uniform, covered in blood and his breaths were short and ragged. Makoto dropped to his knees and took Haru into his arms while Nagisa called an ambulance. He looked into Haru's deep blue eyes and saw the drive to live in his eyes.

"Haru! Please tell me you're ok!" Makoto panicked.

"Please... don't let Kiyoshi die..." Haru said through a raspy voice with tears forming in his eyes. Makoto raised an eyebrow. Who the heck was Kiyoshi? He was about to ask when the ambulance came. The paramedics put Haru on a stretcher and put him in the ambulance. Makoto and Nagisa couldn't ride with him so they had to hitch a ride in a free cab.

They followed the ambulance to the hospital and on the way there, Makoto made sure to call Rin and let him know what was going on. When they got to the hospital, they had to wait in the living room while Haru was rushed to the OR. Minutes seemed to pass like hours. Anxiety took over Makoto's body as he thought of the possibility of his best friend not making it. Haru couldn't die; he had his life ahead of him and it was too soon! The brunette paced around to try and calm himself down. As much as he wanted to, he didn't want to cause a scene in the waiting room.

"What's taking so long?" Makoto anxiously asked himself as he looked at the clock again.

"Be patient, Mako-chan. It was a bad hit and the doctors have to work on Haru-chan as long as they need to."

"I know but, it's been two hours already! You'd think they'd be finished with him by now..."

"Just wait, they'll be finished soon." Makoto sat back down and waited for another thirty minutes when a doctor came out wearing scrubs. He looked like he was about to tell some pretty devastating news. Makoto looked at the doctor with anxiety, in fear of what he was about to hear.

"Tachibana-san? Hazuki-san?" The doctor said. The pair stood up and looked at the doctor with a worried expression on each of their faces.

"How's our friend?"

"I have some good news and bad news. The good news is he's going to be just fine. He's going to have aggressive headaches, back problems, and he won't be able to stand for long periods of time but through some medication prescribed by his doctor and some intense physical therapy, he should be able to make a full recovery within a year."

"What's the bad news?" Nagisa asked.

"The bad news is that the baby didn't make it. The impact made Nanase-san have a miscarriage."

At that moment, Makoto froze in place while Nagisa collapsed into his chair. Haru was going to have a baby and he didn't tell anyone! Even though he just heard about it, Makoto felt like crying. Not only for the baby that might have been but for Haru as well. He was going to be devastated when he found out! Before they could say anything else, Sousuke, Rei, and Rin finally made it. Makoto unfroze and immediately hugged Sousuke while Nagisa ran into Rei's arms. After the news they just received, this was very much needed.

"Makoto, what happened?" Rin asked generally concerned for his boyfriend and unborn child.

"Haru was c-crossing the s-street and a reckless driver came out of n-n-nowhere and hit him! The doctor said Haru was going to make a full recovery within a year with some prescribed medication and intense physical therapy but Rin... I don't know how to tell you this but Haru was-"

"Pregnant. I know."

"W-Wait, you knew Haru was pregnant and didn't say anything?"

"When we found out Haru was gonna have a baby, we decided to keep it a secret from you guys until he was showing. He said he was gonna tell you and Nagisa today during your lunch break. Did Kiyoshi make it?" Rin asked with hope in his eyes. That made Makoto want to cry more. When Haru mentioned Kiyoshi earlier he was talking about the baby. He didn't want to tell Rin about the miscarriage. He couldn't bring it in himself to say anything. As it turns out, Makoto didn't need to say a word; Rin took the silence as an answer and began to tremble.

"N-no... Kiyoshi didn't die... you're lying!"

"Rin, I'm sorry! I wish it weren't true but it is; Haru had a miscarriage." Just like that, Makoto confirmed Rin's worst fear. Rin shook his head and backed into a wall. No. This was a lie! This had to be a lie! His baby couldn't have died, his baby wasn't dead! The doctor who had treated Haru walked up to the redhead.

"Officer Matsuoka, I presume that you are the father of Nanase-san's baby."

"What happened?"

"The impact of the car that hit your lover did a lot of damage to him. When he was on the table we were able to save him but we weren't able to save your child. We tried to save the baby but by that time, we were too late. The fetus damage had been done, we did all we could. I'm sorry for your loss, Officer." Rin's breathing got heavy as he couldn't contain the tears any longer. He finally broke down and cried. He couldn't believe it. Kiyoshi was gone. It wasn't fair! Kiyoshi didn't even have a chance to experience life! Rin looked at the doctor and sniffled.

"Does Haru know he lost the baby yet?"

"No. We put him in his room, he's unconscious at the moment but he should wake up soon. He's in room 217."

"Can we see him?" Rei asked.

"Yes, but I must warn you not to work him up; if you do then he'll stress himself out and in his condition, he doesn't need any." They nodded and walked to the nearest elevator.

On the way up to Haru's room, Rin thought of how he was going to break the news to Haru. As a cop there were times where Rin had to inform families of their deceased loved ones. It was hard to watch them break down and cry. How was he supposed to tell Haru that he lost the baby? Knowing how much Haru loved Kiyoshi, he was going to be devastated. They got to the second floor and walked to room 217. When they entered his room, Haru was lying in bed covered in bandages with a neck brace and some bruises on his face. He was connected to an IV and a heart monitor. He was still unconscious which, for Rin, was just fine. He needed more time to process things.

Rin pulled up a chair and sat beside Haru's bed and held his hand. His eyes welled up with tears again as he stared at his boyfriend. In his sleep, Haru was peaceful; almost like he was an angel. He was blissfully unaware of what happened. He kissed Haru's forehead. The redhead couldn't keep himself together. None of this was supposed to happen! Sousuke stood by his best friend's side and put a hand on his shoulder. The last time he'd seen Rin like this was back in high school when Rin finally found out about his bad shoulder. Rin was usually the strong one when it came to a tragedy but now this, especially when it was so personal, he was breaking down.

"I know it hurts now, Rin, but you have to be strong."

"How the fuck can I? I just found out that my boyfriend miscarried and he's not gonna handle himself when he finds out! Who the hell can stay strong with that on their mind?!"

"Because your boyfriend is gonna need a shoulder to cry on and that shoulder is yours! He's gonna need you to hold him and tell him that everything's gonna be ok and that you love him and you have to let him know that it wasn't his fault, ok? Can you do that?"

"But who's gonna tell Haru?"

"Who's gonna tell me what?" A raspy voice asked. Everyone in the room looked at the bed's occupant. Haru looked very confused. All he knew was that he was in pain and that something was terribly wrong. He looked at Rin. Tears were falling from his eyes and he looked very heartbroken. Something he was wrong, he could feel it.

"What's going on, what happened? Why am I here?"

"Haru-chan, you were hit by a reckless driver while crossing the street. The doctor said you'll have some aggressive headaches, back problems, and problems standing for long periods of time but that should be fixed by some intense physical therapy and medication but there was a... complication." Nagisa explained.

"What happened?" Silence fell over the room. No one wanted to tell Haru that he lost the baby. Hell, no one even knew how to tell him that the crash caused him to miscarry. Haru was more confused than ever. Something bad happened but no one was telling him what it was. He looked to Rin with his eyes begging for the answer no one was willing to give him. Rin heavily sighed. He was gonna be the one to tell him.

"Haru, before I tell you what happened, you have to promise me that you'll stay as calm as possible."

"I promise. Now what happened? Did Kiyoshi make it?" Haru felt panic rising in the pit of his stomach.

"The impact of the car did a lot of damage to you. While you were in the OR, they tried to save Kiyoshi but too much was done and they were too late. I'm sorry Haru, the crash caused a miscarriage."

Once the word miscarriage hit his ears, Haru felt like his world had come crashing to an end. He put his free hand on his stomach and felt it. Where a small bump rested was now flattened out. Haru inhaled sharply as he felt tears beginning to sting his eyes. Kiyoshi didn't survive the crash and he did. It wasn't fair. Kiyoshi should have made it! His body became wracked with sobs as he processed what had happened to him. He lost the baby and it was his fault. Kiyoshi would never get a chance to experience life and it was his fault. Before Haru knew it, he broke down and cried in front of everyone. He was in agony; his heart felt like it was breaking. The heart monitor beeped which caused the doctor to rush in and check up on him.

"Nanase-san, you need to calm down; you're not in the proper condition to be so distraught!" The doctor pleaded. Haru ignored the doctor and continued to cry. He was in pain. He felt like fate had given him a precious gift and then, for no reason or word of warning, took that gift away. No one could understand the pain he was going through. The doctor sighed. He was afraid this would happen so he prepared a syringe for Haru. He took out the needle and injected it into his patient. Slowly, but surly, Haru began to calm down and eventually fell asleep.

"What did you just give my boyfriend?" Rin asked.

"Something that would help him calm down and go to sleep. You should go home now. I'll give you a call if anything in his condition changes, Officer Matsuoka."

"Thank you. When are you looking to release him?"

"We're looking at about two weeks, probably one week if he does better. Until we release him, you can come and visit as much as you like."

"Thanks again doctor." Rin said as he kissed Haru's forehead. "I'll be back tomorrow, baby." He whispered into his sleeping lover's ear before he departed. He needed some time by himself to be alone. Besides, he didn't want any of his friends to see him break down again. Rin walked out of the hospital with a heavy heart and teary eyes as he walked home. Today was just terrible. He was on top of the world with a good job, a home, and a loving boyfriend he was gonna start a family with and now this goddamn tragedy happened and fucked everything up! Rin swallowed the lump in his throat as he finally got home. He went upstairs to his and Haru's room, laid down on the bed, and cried.

Tears fell out of Rin's eyes like a flood and he couldn't seem to stop it. His baby was gone. He'd never get to hold her, chase after her as she learns to walk, watch her grow up, or give her away on her wedding day. Most of all, he'd never get to let Kiyoshi know how much she was loved. Rin looked on the bedside table and saw the picture from Haru's last ultrasound. With a shaky hand, he grabbed the picture and held it. It was almost painful to look at the photo. Once it was a beautiful thing to look at but it now served as a cruel reminder of something that wasn't meant to be.

Rin held the picture to his chest and cried. That picture was too painful to look at now. He wanted this pain to go away; he wanted everything to go back to normal! He wanted Haru here, falling asleep in his arms as he sang a gentle lullaby. He wanted to put his hands on Haru's stomach and know that there was a life growing inside of him. He wanted back all the excitement impending fatherhood gave him. He just wanted things to be happy again. As much as he tried to wish for this all to be a cruel nightmare, it wasn't. The pain was too real and he felt as if his heart was shattering like glass. He eventually fell asleep crying.

* * *

~Two Weeks Later~

* * *

In the next two weeks, Haru was released from the hospital. Physically, his condition improved but emotionally, he was still a wreck. When he woke up the next day after his freak-out over losing the baby, he was silent. No one could get a word out of him; not even Rin. He didn't have the energy to talk. He was in a deep depression that no one could understand. His mind kept going over the crash and the events leading up to it. His therapist had warned against ruminating but Haru didn't care. What was the point anymore? He couldn't bring it in himself to move on from what happened. In fact, he managed to convince himself that it was his fault. He thought that if he had ran out of the way in time, Kiyoshi would have lived longer. Rin told him countless time to quit blaming himself for something that was out of his control, but, so far, he wasn't getting through to him.

At the moment, Haru was back home, in his room lying on the bed, staring at the wall. He didn't know what to do with himself now. He felt numb and that there was nothing to live for anymore. He heard a door open and close then smelled the delicious aroma of food. He knew it was Rin bringing him something to eat. Haru wasn't hungry. He didn't want to eat a thing. There was a dip on the bed and a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Haru, it's time to eat." Rin whispered as he grabbed a forkful of food. Haru didn't turn around. The redhead sighed and put the fork down. It's been like this ever since they got home. All day, Haru would just lay in bed, stare at the wall, starve himself, and lay there in silence. Rin was worried about Haru. He knows that a terrible thing just happened and that it was gonna take a while to move on but he didn't want Haru to destroy himself out of grief for their unborn child. Rin let out a trembling sigh.

"I know you're still hurting from losing Kiyoshi but you can't ruminate on this or blame yourself! You didn't do anything wrong, it was that idiot driver's fault!" Haru tensed. He heard all of this before and he didn't want to hear it again. Rin got up from the bed and grabbed his things for work.

"Fine. I get it; you don't wanna talk about this yet. I respect that but we have to talk about this at one point or another. You can't destroy yourself over this and I can't watch you destroy yourself. *sigh* I'll be back at 6. Make sure you eat, starving isn't healthy." Just like that, Rin was out the door and out of the house.

Haru began to cry. Tears of pain fell from his eyes like a mighty waterfall. He didn't know what to do anymore! His life was falling apart all around him and he didn't know how to cope with it. It was almost as if someone just came and sucked out all that was good in his life. Slowly, Haru rose out of bed and looked at the meal Rin placed on the table. He almost felt bad that he didn't eat it. Haru looked past the food and saw his last ultrasound photo. He picked it up and stared at it. Tears formed in his eyes as he remembered how happy he was to hear that his baby was alright. He was staring at it so long that he didn't hear the door opening.

Rin came back home since the chief decided to give him some more time off for his loss. The cop knew his boss was looking after him and making sure his head was clear but he wished his boss wasn't so easy-going. When he got to their room, he saw Haru staring at the photo and wrapped his arms around him. Haru tensed in his grasp for a moment then relaxed. "You don't have to go through this alone," Rin whispered, "I'm here for you. I understand how you feel." Haru sighed and shrugged out of Rin's arms.

"You don't understand what I'm feeling."

"How do I not understand?"

"You didn't have a growing life inside of you and then wake up to find that life has been taken away while you were unconscious! Until you understand my pain, there's no way you can help me get through this!"

Rin gritted his teeth as tears formed in his eyes, "If you let me, I can try and help you as best I can. I may not understand the pain you're in but I do understand this; I've been watching you letting yourself drown in depression and it scares the fuck outta me every moment I'm away from you because I think that when I come home from work, you would have already killed yourself!" Rin yelled. He was frustrated with this! He wanted his Haru back. "I love you and when we entered this relationship, I said I'd be strong when you were weak and be there for you through thick and thin. This is one of those times and you're just pushing me away. I don't want to lose you. Please... let me be strong for you."

Haru's eyes filled up with tears as he shoulders shook and his legs gave out causing him to fall. Rin caught him in time and carried him to bed. Haru clung to Rin as he wailed. He'd been holding in so much over the last two weeks, it felt wonderful to let it out. Rin held his boyfriend. This was the first time Rin ever really got to comfort Haru since the crash.

"I feel so terrible! It's all my fault! If I had been looking or if I'd run out of the way in time, Kiyoshi wouldn't be gone!" Rin cupped Haru's face in his hands and forced their eyes to meet.

"Don't you _ever_ say that it's your fault again. You had no idea what was coming or what was gonna happen. If anything, it was the driver's fault for being so careless."

The driver was not only careless but he was also a fucking idiot. He had the audacity to sell the car and try to leave the country but the law caught up to the bastard before he could board the plane. When they found the guy who caused the crash that led Haru to miscarry he tried to claim that his evil twin was driving the car. The claim didn't hold up since the guy had no twin, had a history of reckless driving, and several people saw his license plate. In the end, his license had been revoked and he was sentenced to 15 years on a hit and run charge. Haru swallowed the lump in his throat.

"How do you not blame me?"

"Because I don't and you shouldn't blame yourself either. Ok? I love you."

"I love you too. Rin?"

"Hm?"

"Never leave me."

Rin smiled, "Wouldn't dream of it." Rin gently pressed his lips to Haru's forehead and let the latter snuggle up to him. They stayed like that until Haru fell asleep. Rin watched him with a bitter smile on his face. Moving on was going to be difficult for both of them. There was no way either of them could forget but there was no way to officially move on. All they could do was accept the hand that fate dealt them and live with it. They'd get through this. As long as they had each other, they'd be able to live.

* * *

~Later That Night~

* * *

"...and the prince and princess lived happily ever after in their castle. The end." Sousuke finished as he closed the book. Tonight was his night to put Shiori to bed which included telling her a story before bed. Speaking of Shiori, she yawned and snuggled into the covers with her teddy-bear, Kuma-kun. Sousuke smiled and put the book back on its shelf and turned the light off. He kissed Shiori's forehead goodnight and moved to leave but she grabbed his shirt and stopped him.

"You forgot to give Kuma-kun a goodnight kiss." Sousuke gave the stuffed animal a kiss and tucked his daughter in before he left.

"Good night, Shi-chan. Have sweet dreams."

"Good night, Papa." Shiori yawned as she fell asleep. Sousuke left the room and gently closed the door.

Sousuke walked downstairs and went into the kitchen where Makoto was washing dishes. He smiled and snuck up behind Makoto and wrapped his arms around him as he laid his head on his shoulder. Makoto blushed and continued to wash the dishes. The taller man began to sway them side-to-side as if there were slow music playing.

"Is Shiori asleep?" He asked.

"Out like a light. Need any help?"

"Not really but I could use someone to talk to."

"Done. So, any idea for what you wanna do for the next family day?"

"I was thinking of going to the beach. Shiori's never been before and I was thinking we invite some people to join us."

"Like who?"

"My parents, my siblings, your parents, Rei, Nagisa, Gou, Hotaru... Rin and Haru." Sousuke stopped and looked at Makoto with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you sure you wanna invite them?"

Makoto stopped washing dishes and turned around in Sousuke's arms. "Yes, I'm sure. C'mon, they're going through a lot and I figured a day at the beach would help take their minds off of it." Sousuke was still skeptical. He knew his friend needed something to take his mind off of losing the baby but he was worried a day at the beach was gonna be a waste of time. Makoto rolled his eyes and pouted. "Please. It'll be good for them to get out of the house and have a little fun in the sun." And there goes the pouty look Sousuke could never say no to. He turned and walked away a little. He was not gonna get that pouty look. Thirty minutes went by before Sousuke looked at Makoto again and he still had the pouty face. Goddammit! With a defeated sigh, Sousuke's shoulders slumped.

"Fine, you can invite them."

"Thank you!" Makoto smiled.

"You know, I still can't believe they were gonna have a baby. It must be hard for them. One day, so excited to be parents and the next day, the excitement is replaced by grief." Makoto's smile fell as he nodded. The last time he saw Haru was a couple days ago when he brought over a pineapple cake. Haru wasn't saying a word and he let himself get skinny with the lack of food. He was worried for his friend.

"I know. The good thing is the doctor didn't perform a hysterectomy so when they're ready, they can try again."

"Yea. Speaking of babies, I've been thinking of something lately."

Makoto raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"Have you ever thought of having another baby?" Makoto was taken aback by the question. He figured that one day they'd get married and have more kids but he didn't know when. Like it's been mentioned many times before, he wanted to take things slow and build up to it. He licked his lips and leaned back against a counter.

"I have. I knew when we got back together we could have more, even get married. Lately I've been thinking of what it'd be like with another little Yamazaki running around the house." Makoto smiled at the thought of another baby. It'd be the first time Sousuke was around while he was pregnant and the first time that he's had help from the baby's father from day one of that child's life. He'd probably have to end up quitting his job so he could care for the baby. He looked at Sousuke and smiled a little. "What about you? Want more kids?"

"Yea. It'd be nice. When were you thinking of trying?"

"I dunno. I was thinking sometime after we were married."

"We're not even engaged yet."

"Well..." Makoto started, "we're practically engaged to be engaged so I can talk about marriage all I want." The brunette said between kisses. Sousuke smirked and captured Makoto's lips in a hungry kiss. Makoto happily kissed back and wrapped his arms around Sousuke's neck. Sousuke put his hands on Makoto's thighs and hoisted him up on the counter and began attacking his neck. Makoto moaned and tilted his head as he tangled a hand in Sousuke's hair. Sousuke's hand wandered down to Makoto's pants and rubbed his already hardening cock.

"Huh, hard already and I barely did anything~" Sousuke whispered into Makoto's ear. Makoto moaned and rolled his hips into Sousuke's hand. Sousuke chuckled and let his other hand roam up Makoto's shirt and tease one of his nipples. A moan resulted from the orca's mouth as he pulled down Sousuke's pants. Sousuke pulled away and looked at his boyfriend with a questioning look.

"Don't wanna wait... Need you now." Makoto panted.

"Sure. I'll make this quick." Sousuke winked as he reached above Makoto and grabbed a condom from a hidden stash he put in the kitchen. Makoto gave him a deadpan look.

"Alright, I'm gonna ask the question everyone has on their minds, why do you have a stash of condoms in the kitchen?"

"I hid them in case we ever started getting frisky in the kitchen and didn't wanna move to the bedroom." Sousuke answered as he slipped on the condom and pulled down Makoto's pants. Sousuke gripped Makoto's hips and slowly pushed in. Makoto bit his lip to hide the loud moan that would have come out. Sousuke chuckled and began to slowly thrust into Makoto as he kissed his neck. Makoto bit his lip harder and leaned into Sousuke's ear.

"Fuck me hard and deep. Mark me as yours~"

Sousuke growled and began to snap his hips hard and fast as he sucked and licked at Makoto's neck. Makoto couldn't contain himself anymore as he used one hand to grip the countertop and the other one to hold onto Sousuke. Sousuke grunted as he thrust into him, his hands never leaving Makoto's hips. He smirked as he watched the spots on Makoto's neck turn purple. Sousuke then captured Makoto's lips in a kiss and went in deeper, hitting Makoto's sweet spot. Makoto moaned louder and wrapped his arms around Sousuke as he felt that spot getting hit over and over again. Sousuke wrapped his hand around Makoto's cock and began to pump him in time with his thrusts.

"Do you love my cock, Makoto? Do you like how it stretches your little hole out?" Makoto only gave a weak nod. He couldn't say any words. He was in too much pleasure to speak. Sousuke growled and pulled on Makoto's hair. "I asked you a question, pet~ Do you like this?"

"Ah! Yes! Makoto likes Sousuke's cock!" He moaned. Sometimes when Makoto was really worked up to it during sex, he'd end up talking in third person. Sousuke smirked and made his thrusts harder. Makoto moaned and felt his release coming on. Sousuke knew this and thrust faster.

"P-Please Sousuke! Let Makoto cum~"

"Since you used the magic word, I guess I will." Sousuke smirked as he pumped Makoto. Makoto couldn't hold it in anymore and came all over Souske's hand while moaning the other's name. Seeing hi lover come undone right in front of him made Sousuke reach his limit. Both men panted and looked at each other. Makoto blushed and put his face in his hands in embarrassment.

"I can't believe I talked in third person..." Came from the mumbled voice. Sousuke chuckled and kissed Makoto's forehead.

"I thought it was cute~"

Sousuke pulled out of Makoto and took the condom off and threw it out. He pulled his pants up and noticed that Makoto was looking tired. Without a word, he picked up Makoto and carried him to their room. By the time they got there, Makoto was asleep. Sousuke laid him down in bed then crawled in next to him. His shoulder may be sore as hell when he woke up in the morning, but he didn't care at the moment. Sousuke watched Makoto sleep and began to imagine what it'd be like having another child. Having another child to run after, their family would grow, there'd be one more kid to call him Papa. Sousuke started getting used to the idea of having another child. He wrapped an arm around Makoto and closed his eyes. Yea, he wouldn't mind another child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the way the chapter ends! I hoped you liked the latest chapter! Until the next chapter, I bid you adieu. Bye~


	14. Beach Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family day at the beach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeing as how the last chapter was mostly angst, let's have a chapter of mostly happy vibes, shall we?

"Shi-chan, wake up, we're here." Makoto softly cooed as he woke up his daughter. Shiori woke up and looked out the window to see the ocean. It was early morning and the sunrise reflected beautifully on the ocean. A smile came to her face as she caught her first glimpse of the ocean. She'd never been to the beach before and never really got a good look at the ocean since her mother never took her but today, that all changes.

"Wow!" Shiori exclaimed as she pressed her face up against the window. "It's so pretty!" She couldn't help but continue to stare at the ocean, it was too beautiful.

Makoto smiled at his daughter's excitement. Today was their family day and he chose the beach for special reasons. One reason is because Shiori's never been to the beach before. Another reason is Makoto wanted to involve more family, both biological and extended this time around. A big part of why he chose the beach was because he wanted to try and conquer his fear of the ocean. It was the reason he never took Shiori. He was afraid that one day they'd be at the beach and, when he wasn't looking, she'd wander away and be swept up in the sea and he'd never see her again. He knew that it wouldn't happen but still the fear stayed. Makoto made a promise with himself that he'd try and get rid of his fear. Sousuke parked the car and they got out. When they did, Nagisa came running up to them with Rei close behind.

"Mamakoto! Shi-chan! Sou-chan!" Nagisa shouted. Makoto rolled his eyes in a playful matter. Even in the early hours of the day Nagisa was as cheerful and energetic as ever. Shiori smiled as she saw Nagisa and ran into his arms. Nagisa caught her time, spun her around, and then put her back down.

"Wow, Shi-chan! You're getting bigger and bigger every time I see you!"

Shiori giggled, "That's because I drink my milk everyday so I won't be short when I grow up!"

"It's working. Soon you won't be my little itty bitty Shi-chan anymore!" Nagisa pouted. Makoto chuckled.

"Don't pout Nagisa. Shiori's not gonna grow for a little while. So, did you guys save a spot already?"

"Yes. We got a spot that gives us a good view of the ocean." Rei confirmed.

"That's great! Let's go find a place before anyone tries to beat us to it." They walked to their spot and got ready for the day. Within an hour, everyone Makoto invited to the beach was there. Umbrellas were up, beach blankets were laid out, coolers were filled with ice and soda, inflatable things were blown up and the fun could finally begin. Well... most of the fun was started. Sousuke pouted like a child as Makoto put some sunscreen on him. When left out in the sun too long, Sousuke was known to get sunburn.

"Babe, is this really necessary?" Sousuke asked.

"Yes it is. I don't want you to get sunburn."

"Why don't you put a bunch of sunblock on Shiori?"

"I did that while you and your dad were blowing up the beach balls."

"What about yourself?"

"Took care of that when we were lost." Makoto said as he tried to stifle a laugh. Sousuke blushed furiously and glared at Makoto from over his right shoulder.

"Hey, we didn't get lost! I took a wrong turn..."

"Four times Sousuke?" Makoto couldn't hold it in anymore as he burst out laughing. Sousuke blushed more as he crossed his arms over his chest. It wasn't his fault! If the GPS hadn't been a dick, he wouldn't have gotten lost. The brunette laughed for a full minute before putting his head on Sousuke's shoulder. "Aw, don't be like that. Look, I'll do something nice for you when we get home."

"Like what?"

Makoto leaned into his ear and smirked. "I'll do that one thing that I don't really do~"

"Really?"

"Have I ever been known to lie?" Sousuke let out a big grin. Makoto never did that one thing when they were at home! He couldn't wait. He put his hand on the back of Makoto's neck and brought him closer to his lips. Their lips met in a slow kiss. After a minute, they broke apart. They looked at each other with the love they held for each other showing in their eyes. They were about to kiss one more time but they were interrupted by high pitched squeals. They looked out at the ocean to see Shiori and Nagisa splashing around in the water. Makoto chuckled.

"Looks like Shiori's having fun."

"Yea. What do you say to joining her, huh? We are her parents." Feelings of anxiety rose in Makoto's chest when Sousuke suggested going swimming but he held it down. He was hear to work on his fear and let his child have her first beach day and he wasn't going to let his fear of the ocean do that.

"I say... let's go." Sousuke smirked as he took him by the hand and led him to the ocean. Shiori caught sight of them and ran up to them. Makoto smiled at her and bent down to her level. "Having fun in the ocean, baby girl?" Shiori nodded enthusiastically.

"Yea, it's cold like rain and the waves are pretty. Can we play in the water, Mama?"

Anxiety rose high in the pit of Makoto's stomach when Shiori asked that question. Sure he was here to try and conquer his fear of the ocean but just thinking about it was making Makoto have an anxiety attack. He could already feel his chest tightening and his hands were getting clammy. His chest uncomfortably tightened as he began to think of all the terrible things that could happen the moment he set foot in that ocean. One moment it's all fun and games, the next moment a tsunami can happen and bam! They'll get caught up in the sea and never be seen again! Shiori tilted her head in confusion.

"Mama? Are you ok?"

Makoto snapped out of his daze and gave his daughter a shaky smile. "I'm fine. Just zoned out a bit, that's all. C'mon, let's go in the water." Makoto said as he stood up and took his daughter's hand. Shiori instantly forgot about what had just happened to her mother and walked to the ocean. Makoto followed her and began splashing around with her. Smiles were on their faces as they splashed around in the ocean. Beneath his smile, Makoto was still anxious about being in the water but he figured that he could ignore his anxiety for his daughter's sake. Sousuke smiled and decided to join his family in the water. When he joined, Shiori smiled brightly and splashed some water on him. Sousuke laughed as he began to splash around with them.

As the family had fun in the water, Haru watched them have fun. In the end, Makoto went through with inviting him and Rin to the beach for a day to try and cheer them up a little after losing their baby. Haru was a little reluctant to go but Rin convinced him to go because of the water. Now that he was here, all he wanted to do was go back home. Emotionally speaking, he was still hurt from losing Kiyoshi but day by day, he was learning to move on. Currently, he was sitting in the sand and watching his best friend with his family. In a way, he was a little jealous of Makoto. His child was alive and happy while his own was in a little cardboard box buried in his backyard. Damn, that is a depressing reality.

Haru let his imagination run a little as he imagined himself, Rin, and a child playing in the water. He could see the child's smile and hear their laugh. It was a thought that both made him smile and brought tears to his eyes. As much as he loved the image his imagination showed him, he knew that he was a long ways away from being here with Rin and their child. Haru sighed sadly and wiped away the oncoming tears. He couldn't help but feel as if fate had cheated him out of happiness. Depression creeped into his mind as he put a hand over the scar on his stomach. For four months, there was a life growing inside of him but then it was taken away. How could he not feel cheated?!

"Haru? Are you ok?" A gentle voice asked. He looked up to see Gou wearing a polka dot bikini top and a pair of shorts. She sat down next to him and he licked his lips.

"I-I guess. Enjoying the beach?"

"Yea. It's good to get away from planning weddings for a day and enjoy the beauty that is life. How about you? Are you ok?" Gou asked worriedly.

"I'm getting better by the day. It's hard to move on you know? I had a life growing inside of me and that life never got a chance to live life."

"How are you and my brother doing? Miscarriages aren't easy on a couple."

"We're coping with it. Rin and I are going through the stages of grief and we're learning to live with what happened."

"Are you two thinking about trying again?"

"Rin tossed around the idea last night. I want another chance to have Rin's child but I don't think I can go through it. What if the same thing happens? What if another bastard decides to hit me with his car? I don't think I'd be able to handle losing another baby..." Haru said as his voice began to crack. Gou hugged him and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's not going to happen again. Fate just dealt you a shitty hand, it won't do it to you a second time. You're going through a tough time but you'll get through it. Just keep in mind that Kiyoshi's watching over you and with any kids that you and my brother have in the future, he or she will be sure to watch over them too." Haru smiled and was about to say something but then Rin showed up with Hotaru.

"Hey guys, am I interrupting something?"

Gou laughed as she stood up and hugged her brother. "No you aren't and who have you got with you?"

"Oh, this is Hotaru. She's a friend of Makoto's. Hotaru, this is my sister, Gou."

"Charmed to meet you." Hotaru said as he kissed Gou's hand. Gou blushed a little and scratched the back of her head.

"You're cute. *chuckle* Wanna get an ice cream cone with me? I'm sure this weather is making you kinda hot, doll~" The black-haired woman flirted. Gou blushed deeper and turned away from her. What was it about this woman that was making her blush so deep. Sure, Hotaru has some pretty attractive curves and some good muscle mass and she's smooth as fuck and---GAHHH! What the hell is wrong with me? Gou mentally screamed at herself. She'd never been attracted to someone of the same gender, hell, the only thing that made her attracted to anyone was muscles but with Hotaru, there was so much more. Speaking of Hotaru, she snapped her fingers in front of Gou's eyes.

"Hey, doll, are you ok?"

"Y-yea, I'm fine. I could go for some ice cream." Gou answered. Hotaru smiled and took Gou's hand as she led her to the nearest ice cream booth.

Rin chuckled and smiled at his boyfriend. "Having fun, babe?"

"A little. It's kind of relaxing to sit here and watch the waves. What about you?"

"It's fun but it'd be more fun with you. C'mon, let's go for a swim." Haru smiled a little and stood up to take his shirt off. After high school, he still couldn't refuse a chance to swim around in the ocean. Haru took off his shirt and immediately began to feel a little self conscious about the scar on his stomach from... what happened. He sighed and went into the water. He was here to have some fun in the sun and that was just what he was gonna do.

Haru began to swim around. He felt the water push against him and it made him feel at peace. The water always made him feel better when people couldn't. It wrapped him up like a blanket and cradled him in its waves like a mother would to their sleeping child. A smile came on Haru's face as he began to sort of relive those days back in high school when he was on the swim club. Moving through the water as smooth as a dolphin, being gently held by the waves, swimming of his own free will... Back then, those days seemed like they'd never end but time goes fast when you're swimming with your friends. As Haru was reminiscing, he didn't notice that Rin had dawned a foam shark fin and was swimming toward him. Rin crept up behind him and then pounced on him. The dolphin jumped a little and whipped his head around to see Rin holding him and sporting his trademark shark tooth smile.

"Got you~" Rin laughed as he peppered Haru's face with kisses. Haru blushed and turned around in Rin's arms.

"You sneaky shark. You scared me."

"All to see your face, darling dolphin." The redhead smiled as he captured Haru's lips in a loving kiss. Haru kissed back and wrapped his arms around Rin's neck. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around Haru's waist as the kiss deepened. Soon they broke apart for air and stared deep into each others' eyes. Rin pushed some of Haru's hair behind his ear and touched foreheads with him. Haru closed his eyes and buried his neck in the crook of his boyfriend's neck.

"I love you." Haru mumbled.

"I love you too." Rin replied.

"Get a room!" A voice yelled. The couple turned around to see Sousuke with his hands cupped around his mouth and Makoto lightly smacking him in the shoulder. Rin rolled his eyes and poked his tongue out at him. Sousuke laughed and pinched Makoto's cheek.

"Babe, you know I'm joking."

"They were having a moment and you ruined it!"

"Something was bound to do it and it might as well have done it."

"Papa! I'm hungry!" Shirori complained as she tugged on Sousuke's swim trunks. Sousuke chuckled and gave Makoto a half apologetic smile.

"Hehe, you heard the boss, time to eat. Last one to the blanket is a rotten egg!" Sousuke exclaimed as he ran off. Shiori laughed and ran after her father. When Sousuke saw that Shiori had caught up with him a little, he slowed down for her. Shiori laughed and ran past her father and got to the blanket first. Shiori jumped up in the air and clapped her hands as Sousuke got to the blanket and faked being fatigued.

"Take it easy on me, Shi-chan. You know I'm getting old." Sousuke panted.

"Yay! Do I win anything?"

"I dunno sweetie, name your prize." Sousuke shrugged as he got out their lunch from a picnic basket Makoto packed before they left the house. Shiori pressed her lips together and closed her eyes in thought. What did she want? After a few minutes, she smiled brightly.

"I want Mama to bake me a red velvet cake!"

"Cake?" Makoto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Mmmhm!" The child hummed, "You haven't baked one since Christmas and I really really want one! Please Mama!" Shiori pleaded with her signature puppy dog eyes. Makoto tried to look away from his daughter but he couldn't. Whenever Shiori really wanted something, she could keep up the puppy dog eyes for as long as she needed to get what she wanted. After a minute or two, Makoto sighed and gave up.

"Sometimes I swear I spoil you too much... Fine but when we leave I'll have to stop at a store to get the ingredients to make your cake. Are you ok with that, honey?"

"Hai!"

"What did Shiori agree to?" Sousuke asked with some amusement in his voice. Shiori and Makoto sat down on the blanket and began to eat.

"She wants me to bake a red velvet cake and I said we'd have to stop at a store on the way home."

"It should be good, now shush and eat your food. Itadakimasu!"

"Itadakimasu!" Makoto and Shiori said in unison. They begun to eat and amongst the happy aura surrounding the family, they were unaware that they were being watched.

In the distance, a fair ways away out of anyone's eyesight was Kisumi, all dressed in black watching his ex-boyfriend with his family. Ever since that day at the aquarium, Kisumi had taken up to stalking Sousuke and trying to figure out how he'd get him back. Sure it was a bit creepy but it was all in the name of love. A small frown graced Kisumi's lips as he pulled out an old photo of him and Sousuke on their first date. He held the picture to his chest and tried his best not to cry. It tugged at his heart strings to watch his boyfriend with another man and with a kid!

"Hurts, don't it?"

Kisumi gasped and turned around to see a slightly older man with red-orange hair and yellow eyes. Unlike him, the man wasn't dressed in all black. Kisumi wiped his eyes and turned away from him. What the fuck did this guy know? Unless he was in the same situation he was in, he had no fucking room to talk.

"Leave. You have no idea what the fuck kind of pain I'm in."

"True, I only know the pain of losing a lover to another man. You must be feeling the pain of losing a lover to death."

"Death?!" Kisumi snorted.

"Yea. You're dressed in all black and holding a picture. Clearly your partner died. So how'd it happen?"

"My ex didn't die you fucking air head, he's down there sitting with his baby mama and their kid!" The pinkette whisper-yelled as he pointed down to where Sousuke was. The man looked like he recognized the people sitting on that beach blanket then frowned deeply.

"Sousuke was your boyfriend at one point?"

"What's it to you? Makoto used to date you?"

"Yea but then we broke up. The name's Mikoshiba Seijuurou."

"Shigino Kisumi. Doesn't it kind of piss you off to see them together like that? All happy and smiling like that."

"It makes me sick, but what can we do?" Kisumi smirked as he got an idea. If he can't break up this little family on his own, he may as well do it with someone else. He turned towards Seijuurou and held out his hand.

"Let's work together."

"Huh?"

"I've been trying to break up that family since Sousuke left me to play House and so far, doing this as a one-man operation isn't working and you want Makoto back right?"

"More than anything in the world!"

"Then join me and together, we can tear the family apart and get back our rightful boyfriends. You in?"

Seijuurou shook his hand. "Count me in." Kisumi smiled and looked back at the family who were now burying some poor blue-haired man into the sand. They can enjoy this little beach day for now because soon, their world as they knew it was going to come crashing to an end in ways they can't imagine. Kisumi almost felt a little bad for what he was doing but time and time again, he reassured himself that for his love, it was the right thing to do. He looked at the picture of him and Sousuke and kissed it. _One day, we'll be together again... I know it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this chapter. It wasn't too much but it was something but hey, I didn't put in too much angst! Anyways... next chapter should be out soon considering it's gonna be kind of short.


	15. Making Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kisumi and Seijuurou discuss how they can break up their exes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's gonna be kind of short

After the day at the beach, Kisumi and Seijuurou met together to plan how to break up their exes. They met at Seijuurou's apartment with a bunch of pictures of the family they were trying to ruin and a whiteboard in Sei's apartment. Kisumi paced around the apartment and looked up at the board. He wanted Makoto to suffer the way he did. To suffer the heartbreak of losing a boyfriend, to feel the overwhelming despair. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in anger. Even thinking about him made his blood boil. Seijuurou sighed and put down his ramen.

"Let's call it a night. We've been at this for hours and we don't have any idea of what we're gonna do."

"No! I'm not stopping! There has to be something that will break these two apart, I know it!"

"Just give up. Nothing will break those two apart!"

Kisumi ignored him and continued to stare at the board. There was a hidden connection somewhere, he knew it. It was something so obvious, something he completely overlooked. Just when he was about to take Seijuurou's advice and give up, he saw what could potentially break them up. It was so obvious! A creepy grin etched itself onto his face as he saw the connection. How the fuck could he have not seen this before?! He faced Sei and grabbed him up by his shirt.

"I found the connection!"

"Great. What is it?" Kisumi smiled and faced the board.

"Why did you and Makoto break up?"

"We broke up because I basically felt more like a babysitter than a boyfriend and tried to make Makoto choose between us. Obviously, he chose Shiori over me. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Sousuke and I broke up the day he found out about the brat and he chose to play House over a relationship with me. Don't you see the common denominator here?"

Seijuurou was about to ask what the fuck he was talking about when he saw it too. The one thing that could break up the couple. He nodded in realization as he saw the connection. He chuckled and got out of Kisumi's grasp as he looked at the board. if it wasn't clear enough already, Shiori was the common denominator. The very thing that would break up Sousuke and Makoto. What's the best way to break up a couple? If they have a child, make sure something happens to it. Mother and father fight, break up, then everyone goes to bed happy. Seijuurou tapped his chin in thought. They found the connection but now what?

"What the hell are we gonna do now? We found what could break those two up so how do we go about this?"

"I dunno. Have any ideas?"

Kisumi rolled his eyes and began to pace the floor. He paced the floor for a couple minutes before he got an idea. "Ok so we're trying to break up a couple with a kid. It seems to me that the only way to assure that they're torn apart for good is for something to happen to the kid."

"Like what? We set their house on fire and make sure the kid doesn't survive?"

"No you homicidal pyromaniac. I was going to suggest we kidnap the kid and sit back and relax as Makoto and Sousuke slowly fall apart day by day until they're no longer together."

"What do we do about the kid? We'll be stuck with her."

"I got acquainted with a couple Yakuza back in college and they owe me a favor for some things I did~ All I have do is call them up, arrange things and then they'll kidnap her. They'll do all the dirty work for us!"

Seijuurou thought about it for a moment. If he let Kisumi talk to his Yakuza buddies then he would not have to maneuver through a house he's never been to before to get to some kids room. Then again we are talking about Yakuza and with them there is absolutely no telling what they'd do with her! Seijuurou sighed and agreed. If it was gonna make Makoto finally be his again then he should just go ahead and go through with it.

"Fine. When are you gonna call them up?"

"I'll call now and see if we can meet up soon." Kisumi pulled out his phone and went off to another room. Seijuurou looked back at the board and thought deeply about what he was about to go through with a guy he just met. It was all for the sake of love. That's all he could tell himself. It was all for Makoto. While his mind was completely for kidnapping a completely innocent child, somewhere in the back of his mind he was having second thoughts about all this. What if this backfired somehow? Then what? A sigh escaped his lips as he looked away from the drawing board. It was for his love. It was for Makoto. It was for the best. Seijuurou went to eat his ramen when Kisumi came back and took it out of his hands.

"Clean up this pigsty. They're coming over in an hour."

"Really? Can't we just meet up somewhere else that isn't my apartment?"

"Hell no. Now when they get here, shut the fuck up and let me do all the talking. You'll just complicate things." Seijuurou rolled his eyes as he began to clean up his apartment for the Yakuza that were coming over. he didn't understand why they just had to use his apartment! They could have met at a hideout or something. In any case, by the time the apartment was clean, the Yakuza had come over. Kisumi ushered them in and sat them down to explain his plan. After he explained, the two Yakuza were looking a bit unsure.

"It's quite a story but we're not sure we can kidnap some nursery school student with a clear conscience."

"Yea, can't you just move on like a normal person?"

"You two said that if I needed anything at all I could call on you for help and this is the one thing we need help for! You're both Yakuza for fuck's sake! Why the fuck are you so soft all of a sudden?!"

"It's not like we don't wanna help, we do, but, a five-year-old girl? I mean if she came from money it'd be a different story but-" One started.

"-with what we do and one word from our boss, anything could happen to the kid. _Anything."_   The other finished.

Kisumi pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Good God you two, you're acting like I asked you to scar her for life! I may be losing my mind but there are just some things I'd never wish on a person. All I need you two to do is sneak in the house, grab the kid, take her to that abandoned house in the woods then leave the rest to Seijuurou and I. That's all we need you for." The two Yakuza sighed in relief.

"Oh well if that's all you need us for then we can do that."

"Good. Do you two have any idea where they live or do you need me to write it down?"

"No. Boss keeps track of all the police officers in Iwatobi so we know where Officer Yamazaki resides."

"Awesome! Call me when you're ready to move forward with the plan!" Kisumi said as he led the Yakuza men out of the apartment. Seijuurou let out the he didn't know he had been holding in. Wow. He'd never been in the same room as Yakuza and he was still a bit shaken from it. Though he didn't interact with them just being in the same room made him shaky. He closed the door and sighed a bit.

"That went well."

"Yea. Look, we'll be in contact again soon. Thanks for lending me the apartment as planning ground. I'll get going."

"Sure. Talk to you soon."

Kisumi walked out the door and went to his car. When he got into his car he smirked. The pieces were in place and all he had to do was wait for the Yakuza to say when they were ready and things could finally happen. Kisumi took out a picture of his ex and stared at it. It was so close to victory he could almost taste it. The smirk turned into a shit-eating grin as he thought of the look on Makoto's face when he and Sousuke finally broke up. The tears, the broken face, the agony, the despair. As sadistic as Kisumi felt at the moment, he couldn't help but take a little pleasure in knowing this would destroy him. It was war and casualties were unavoidable and to be expected.

"Enjoy the last days you have with your little bastard and my boyfriend, Makoto, because these are the very last days you'll have~" Kisumi sickeningly cooed as he stared the car and drove off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, sorry if this was rushed, I never wrote anything that had to do with planning a kidnapping so uh... hope you liked the chapter!


	16. Last Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While this does lead up to the next chapter, it's basically a filler chapter with SouMako Family fluff! Enjoy!

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

Sousuke groaned as he woke up to the alarm waking him up. He sat up and rubbed some of the sleep out of his eyes. It was too damn early. He turned his head to stare at the quietly snoring Makoto for a moment and smiled. Even though he'd been living with his boyfriend and daughter for a few months now, he still can't believe that he's waking up next to Makoto. It almost seems like a dream sometimes. He gently kissed Makoto's cheek before he got out of bed and went to the bathroom and jumped in the shower. As the shower water cascaded down his back, he felt his muscles loosening up a bit. He cleansed himself thoroughly until he got out of the shower just in time to see Makoto walking into the bathroom. The brunette handed him a towel with a shy smile. Sousuke took the towel and dried himself off before he got to the sink and brushed his teeth and combed his hair while Makoto popped into the shower. Sousuke got out of the bathroom and put on his uniform. By the time he was dressed, it was time to wake Shiori and get her ready for the day.

He left the bedroom and went to his daughter's room. As usual, she was still asleep clutching her bear, Kuma-kun. Ever since they moved into this house, Shiori never let the bear out of her sight unless she was leaving the house. Sousuke went to her bed and began to shake her awake. Shiori groaned and turned over in a vain attempt to ignore her father but it wasn't working. After a good ten minutes of Sousuke trying to wake her up, Shiori finally gave up and moved out of bed. In the months Sousuke has been living under the same roof as his daughter he noticed that just like her mother, Shiori was not a morning person.

"Can I sleep for five more minutes, Papa?"

"You know you have to go to school just like Mama and I have to go to work. Now get up and out of bed."

Shiori pouted but got out of bed and went to the bathroom while Sousuke went to the kitchen and began to make breakfast for his family. Makoto was the first down to the kitchen then Shiori followed suit. The family sat down to the meal Sousuke prepared and ate until it came time for them to leave for work and school. Every morning, Sousuke took Shiori to school since it was on the way to the station. He and Makoto kissed each other goodbye then walked off in separate directions. Sousuke and Shiori got in the car and drove to her school. Soon they got to Shiori's school and before she left, Sousuke gave her a hug.

"Be good, Shi-chan."

"I will, Papa. Catch bad guys and be safe." She responded.

Sousuke smiled and kissed her forehead then let her go. He watched as she ran into the building. As soon as she was safe inside, he got in his car and drove to the police station. When he got to work, he was greeted with the usual sight of people walking around and the shouts of those arrested who swear to God that they're innocent of whatever the cops picked them up for. He walked to his desk to see a little mountain of paperwork piled high. A sigh came from his lips as he began to work on it. Soon, Rin came in with two cups of coffe. Rin gave him his cup and he looked on the side of his cup. Ever since he learned that Makoto is the one who made his morning coffee, the barista made sure to leave little notes on his cup everyday. Today's note said 'Be safe at work!'.

After a long day at work, Sousuke went to his daughter's school and picked her up. When Shiori caught sight of him, she ran up to him and jumped in his arms. He caught her just in time and gave her a big hug then put her down as they got in the car and talked about their day. First, Shiori would talk about her day at school and what she did then Sousuke would talk about his day at work and how many bad guys he caught. When they returned home, Shiori went to her room and played with her toys while Sousuke stayed downstairs and did some cleaning.

After a few hours, Makoto would come home when Sousuke was about to start cooking dinner. Shiori ran down the stairs and greeted her mother with a hug then Sousuke would greet him with a kiss and tell him that dinner is going to be ready soon. Makoto would take Shiori into the living room and ask her about her day and they'd talk a little bit until dinner was ready then they'd sit down a family dinner that was full of laughs. After dinner came an hour of TV then off to a bath and bedtime. Makoto and Sousuke would give Shiori her bath and after they'd help her into her pajamas then put her to bed with a story. Once Shiori was asleep, Sousuke and Makoto went to their room, changed into their pajamas and gave each other kisses then fell asleep holding each other. Thus far, this was their routine every single day.

One day, their normal routine came to a sudden halt when a certain incident occurred. Makoto was at work when it happened. It wasn't too busy in the shop. The only people in the shop were some college students with some time on their hands, Makoto and Nagisa, and some random strangers who wanted a quiet place to write on their laptops and suck up the free Wi-Fi. Without too many people in the café, Makoto finally got a chance to clean up a little. The phone rang and Nagisa was the one to pick it up.

"Moshi moshi? . . . Is this important? . . . Sure, I can get him, Mako-chan! Shi-chan's teacher is on the line, she says that she needs to talk to you right away!" Makoto stopped cleaning and rushed over to the phone and took it from Nagisa. Now he was worried. Never before had he gotten a phone call from Shiori's teacher. Something bad had to have happened. With a trembling hand, Makoto took the phone and prepared himself for the worst case scenario.

"Hello?"

_"Ah, Tachibana-san. I hope I didn't bother you."_

"It's no problem at all. What's wrong?"

_"I don't know. All I know is that one minute I leave the children alone to go print some things out and when I come back, Shiori's in tears saying that she wants you."_

"Why is she crying?"

_"I wish I knew. I tried to ask her what's wrong but she won't say anything. I even tried to ask the other children but they're not speaking either. Can you come pick her up?"_

"Of course. Tell Shiori that I'll be there in ten or fifteen minutes."

 _"Hai."_ With that, Shiori's teacher hung up and Makoto went into his boss's office. The boss was a really nice man who took care of his employees and helped him out if they needed it so asking for a day off shouldn't be a whole ordeal. Makoto knocked on the door and his boss looked up and gave him a kind smile.

"Ah, Makoto. What can I do for you?"

"I need to take the rest of the day off. My daughter's teacher called saying that she suddenly broke down crying and I need to pick her up and take her home."

The boss frowned. "Oh no. Did the teacher say why?"

"Shiori won't tell her why nor will the other kids."

"You can have the rest of the day off. Tell Shiori I said to feel better." Makoto nodded and left the office then grabbed his jacket and walked out of the shop. He caught a cab to his daughter's school. When he got there, all the children in Shiori's class were playing outside while Shiori was sitting on the front step with her bookbag on her back and next to her teacher. Shiori saw him and ran up to him. Sohma-sensei walked up to him and frowned.

"I'm sorry to make you come out like this. If I knew what happened to make your daughter cry I would have handled it myself."

"No, it's fine. She probably would have wanted to come home anyways. Ready to go home?" Shiori nodded and held onto Makoto's hand as they left the school. The walk home was silent. Shiori wasn't saying a word about why she was crying and Makoto didn't want to push her to talk. Something happened in that classroom when the teacher went out and he had to find out what.

The moment they got home, Shiori went up to her room and cried. Makoto heard her from downstairs and frowned. Whenever Shiori was sad he couldn't help but feel sad too. Normally Shiori was a very happy child and it would take a lot to make her sad. Makoto sighed and took his phone out. He had to let Sousuke know to come home right away. He dialed Sousuke's number and waited but instead of an answer, it went to voicemail. At the very least he had to leave a message. After he left his message, he went up to his daughter's room and watched her.

Shiori was lying on her bed with her face in her pillow. It was faint but Makoto could hear the muffled sounds coming from his little girl. He frowned as he walked into her room and sat at the edge of her bed. When she sensed her mother, Shiori sat up. Her eyes were puffy from all the crying she'd been doing and there were tear tracks rolling down her cheek. It was sad seeing her like this.

"Shi-chan, do you want to talk?"

"No," Shiori sniffled, "I don't wanna talk. . ."

"Please talk to me. I'm your mother and I'm worried about you, sweetie." Shiori wiped her eyes and got a paper out of her backpack then showed it to Makoto. He took the picture and looked at it carefully. The drawing was of him and Sousuke in their respective work uniforms.

"What does a drawing of your father and I have to do with anything?"

Shiori frowned, "Sohma-sensei told us to draw our heroes today. When she left the room, a kid in my class looked at my picture and started making fun of me. He called me mean names like butt baby and stupid and disgusting and said that we're not a real family because you aren't a woman and you and Papa aren't married. . ." Makoto frowned. He knew this day would come. He took her in his arms and held her as she began to cry.

"Shh. . . it's ok. You're ok."

"Am I disgusting, Mama?"

"No." Makoto answered firmly, "You're not disgusting. Don't let anyone tell you that you're disgusting."

"Are we a real family?"

"Look at me--we're not a traditional family but darn it we're still a normal family. We have problems, we laugh, we fight, we cry, we love each other to death; everything a family goes through. We may be different from other families but you, me, and your father are a family."

"So. . . we aren't a traditional family but we're still a family?"

"Yes. A family isn't just made up of a man and woman with a child or two. Family is made up of people who love and care about each other, like ours. We love each other and that makes the three of us a family. Heck, there are some families out there who aren't even related to each other but they still call themselves a family. Haru-chan, Uncle RinRin. Uncle Nagi, Auntie Gou, and Uncle Rei-chan aren't related to us in any way but you still love them and consider them family, right?"

"Mhm. Mama, why would he say I'm disgusting and that we aren't a real family?" Shiori asked. She didn't understand why her classmate would say all those things. Mama said she wasn't disgusting and that they were a real family. Makoto sighed. He was hoping he wouldn't have this conversation with Shiori for another two years.

"This isn't easy to say but, there are people who don't understand people like your father and I nor do they understand our family dynamic so they say mean things to us to make us feel bad. They're afraid of the things they can't seem to understand or explain. Does that make sense?"

"I guess. . ." Shiori sighed. She was still pretty depressed about what happened at school and she wasn't exactly trying to hide it. Makoto frowned and kissed his daughter's forehead. It was depressing seeing her like this. He looked at the picture Shiori drew and smiled. In the picture, he and Sousuke were in their work uniforms and at the top was written 'My Heroes' in hiragana.

"Papa and I are your heroes?"

"Mhm."

"Why?"

"Papa's my hero because he catches bad guys and you're my hero because Ojii-san said you gave up a lot for me like going to Tokyo and achieving a dream you had." Makoto smiled a little. When he learned he was pregnant with Shiori, sacrifices had to be made. He had to give up going to university and a little while after she was born, he had to get a job at the coffee shop to support the both of them. Makoto wiped his eyes to ward off the oncoming tears and hugged Shiori. She was the sweetest child anyone could have asked for. Makoto looked at the picture and smiled at it.

"I think there's a space on fridge for this drawing."

"Really? You love it?" Shiori asked with a gleam of joy in her eyes.

"Of course I do and when Papa sees it he'll love it too. C'mon, let's put it on the fridge." Makoto took Shiori's hand and led her to the kitchen. Once they got there, Makoto took a fridge magnet and hung the drawing up on the door. He smiled and took a step back.

"There. Now whenever someone comes into the kitchen, they'll be able to see your drawing."

"Hey, Mama?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think people will ever understand us?"

Makoto bitterly smiled. "They'll understand one day but today's just not that day." Sure, the world was slowly coming to understand families of two moms and two dads but there will always be people who can't grasp it and will always make them feel like crap. Maybe the age of understanding will come during his grandchildren's time. For now, people will only look at this family and only see what they choose to ridicule as a family of freaks. Makoto hated to think about this. Without a second thought, he ushered Shiori into the living room to watch TV for a little.

About two hours later, the front door opened and Sousuke came into the living room still wearing his uniform and holding a cardboard box. He looked a little flustered, almost as if he had rushed to get home. Sousuke put the box on the ground to catch Shiori when she ran up to him. Sousuke picked her up and hugged her.

"Are you ok, sweetheart? What happened?"

"I'm ok Papa. A kid at my school called me mean names and said mean things about us over a picture I drew of you and Mama." Shiori frowned a little.

"What did the kid say?"

"He called me stupid, butt baby, disgusting and said that we weren't a real family. . ." Shiori began to shake and was about to start crying again. Sousuke held her tight and rubbed her back in comfort.

"Listen, the next time that same kid or any other one tries to call you a mean name or says mean things about your family, kick butts and take names, ok?"

"Sousuke! Don't tell her that!" Makoto exclaimed. Sousuke and Shiori laughed. Shiori eyed the box Papa brought home and cocked her head to the side in curiosity.

"What's in the box, Papa?"

"Why don't you open it and find out?" Sousuke replied with a sneaky smile as he set Shiori on the ground. Shiori approached the box cautiously and slowly opened it. The moment she did, a dog popped its head out of the box and barked happily. Shiori, who was surprised, jumped back and hid behind Makoto's legs. Makoto chuckled and pet the dog's head.

"You got a dog?"

Sousuke nodded, "Today we raided an illegal testing facility and I found this little guy in a cage waiting to be experimented on. I couldn't let him go to a pound so I decided to adopt him. I thought he'd be a good addition to our family."

"What kind of dog is he?"

"Shiba Inu. His name is Ken."

"Did you get everything he'll need like food, toys, a dog bed, bathroom pads, a collar and a tag?"

"In my car. I wanted to drop Ken off in the house and let him get acquainted with everything before I brought it in."

"I'll help you. Shiori, stay in here with Ken while Papa and I get a of his things out of the car." Makoto commanded as he took Ken out of the box and put him on the ground. Shiori nodded and watched the dog as he sniffed around the living room, getting familiar with everything. Shiori sat cross-legged on the floor and began to watch television as the dog did what he was doing. Ken stopped sniffing around the carpet and crawled into Shiori's lap. He sniffed her face and began to lick her cheeks. Shiori tried to ignore the dog at first but she slowly began to warm up to him. She laughed and pet the dog.

"Hey, stop it Ken!" She laughed, "You're gonna make my face wet!" Ken stopped and looked Shiori in the eye. Shiori yawned and got up on the couch and began to nap. Ken stayed on the ground to stand guard and protect the little human from any and all danger. Once Sousuke and Makoto were done bringing the last of Ken's things in the home, they went to the living room to check on them. When they got there, Shiori was asleep and Ken was guarding her. Makoto smiled at the sight and picked up his daughter and carried her up to her room with Ken following close behind them. Makoto laid her down in her bed and tucked her in with Kuma-kun. Ken jumped up and made a spot for himself at the foot of the bed before eventually going to sleep himself. Makoto walked out of the room and joined Sousuke in the living room.

"Shiori and Ken became fast friends." Makoto commented as he sat next to Sousuke on the couch.

Sousuke wrapped an arm around Makoto's waist. "Oh, really?"

"Yup. Ken's with her in her room, sleeping at the foot of her bed. It's so cute~!"

"Haha, I thought you were more of a cat person."

"I am but a dog fits this family better, don't you think?"

"Mhmm. When was the last time we ever just sat in silence and enjoyed each other's company like this?"

"It's been a while what with our jobs and everything."

Makoto relaxed into Sousuke's hold and laid his head on his shoulder. It was nice just sitting here with his lover like this. No interruptions, just peace and quiet. Sousuke intertwined his fingers with Makoto's and then kissed his hand. A blush appeared on Makoto's face as he buried his face in the crook of Sousuke's neck. A chuckle came from Sousuke's lips as he ran a hand through Makoto's hair. The couple met eyes and let their lips meet with each other in a slow and loving kiss. When they broke apart, they stared into each other's eyes and touched foreheads.

"I love you." Makoto said.

"I love you too." Sousuke replied. "Hey, remember that one thing you said you'd do for me after that beach day when you made fun of me for getting lost?"

Makoto smirked. "What about it~?"

"You never did that one thing and seeing as how we're gonna be by ourselves for a bit, I'd like it if you did that one thing~"

"Ok~ Lay on your stomach." Sousuke smirked and did as he was told. This was gonna be fun.

* * *

~Time Skip~

* * *

Shiori woke up in her room an hour later. She jumped up a little when she noticed her surroundings. All she remembered was falling asleep in the living room and now poof! She was in her room clutching onto Kuma-kun. She wasn't even aware she had Kuma-kun in her hands when she fell asleep! Ken woke up and barked happily when he saw that Shiori was awake. The dog jumped up on her and began to lick her face. Shiori laughed and fell backwards. As the dog continued to lick her face, Shiori managed to grab her bear and hold it in front of her face.

"Kuma-kun! Protect me!" The child laughed. Ken stopped and took a moment to sniff the stuffed bear with the little human's scent on it. Shiori poked her head out from behind the bear and chuckled.

"This is Kuma-kun. He's my stuffed bear! I found him in here when we moved in." Ken licked the bear and opened his mouth as if he were waiting for something. Shiori lifted her bear up in the air and watched Ken's head follow it. She moved her arm to the side and Ken's head followed again. Shiori laughed and continued to tease the dog until she heard a noise coming from downstairs.

"Makoto~ That feels so good~"

Shiori raised an eyebrow and stopped moving Kuma-kun around. That sounded a lot like Papa! Just what were those two doing down there? Shiori got off the bed and slowly opened her door to hear more moans of 'Makoto~' and 'There! R-right there!'. Shiori tiptoed out of her room with Ken following her and went downstairs. As she moved down the step, the sounds were getting louder and louder. Papa sounded like he was in trouble! Shiori went to the living room and saw a shocking sight.

"Mama! What are you doing to Papa?!"

Makoto and Sousuke looked up from the floor to their daughter. Both of them blushed to a bright red as they took note of their current position. Sousuke was lying face down on the floor with his shirt off and Makoto was sitting on his boyfriend's back with his hands on his right shoulder. In short, Makoto was massaging Sousuke's shoulder which he never really has time to do since he gets busy with work. The coupld scrambled to get up and Makoto let out an embarrassing laugh and bent down to his daughter's level.

"I was just giving Papa a massage for his aching shoulder. Are you hungry, Shi-chan?"

"A little. Is Papa ok?"

"He is. Now come on, let's get to the kitchen and get some food in your tummy." Makoto said as he tickled Shiori. The child laughed and nodded and ran to the kitchen. Makoto turned around and looked at Sousuke who was smirking at him and sent him a wink. Makoto rolled his eyes playfully as he walked to the kitchen, swaying his hips in a teasing manner. Sousuke chuckled and went to the kitchen with Ken pawing at his pant leg with each step that he took. Sousuke looked down at the pooch and laughed as he realized that Ken wanted to eat.

"I'll get your food out, Ken. Be patient." Sousuke went to Ken's food bowl and picked it up to fill it. Once the bowl was filled, Sousuke put it on the ground in front of the dog and watched as Ken began to eat as if he hadn't had a good meal in a long time. Poor baby. He probably wasn't treated too kindly while he was in that testing facility, being poked and prodded like he was a worthless rag doll. Sousuke couldn't imagine what it'd be like to live like that. He pet Ken's head. Ken was in a good place now. He looked at Makoto who was about to start cooking something and took his hand.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

"Cooking dinner for my family."

"Oh no you're not, Mamakoto. Get you're beautiful butt in a chair and let Papasuke take care of dinner."

Makoto blushed. "I should have never told you what Nagisa calls us." Sousuke laughed as he began to take care of dinner. Makoto went to one of the cabinets and begun to set up the table. Shiori was kicking her legs back and forth as she hummed a lullaby Sousuke sang as she played with Kuma-kun. After an hour passed, dinner was served and the family ate. During the meal, the family ate and carried on a normal conversation talking about random things like TV shows and amazing facts about things. It was almost as if nothing had happened earlier. After dinner, Sousuke took Shiori upstairs to get ready for bed.

"So, which one do you wanna put on, honey?"

"Um... I want my dinosaur footsies!" Shiori exclaimed. Sousuke chuckled and took out the dinosaur pajamas out of the closet and helped her into it. When Shiori was in her pajamas, she flipped the hood up. The child got into bed and snuggled under the covers. Sousuke tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Shi-chan. Sweet dreams."

"Good night Papa." Shiori yawned as she began to fall asleep. Before Sousuke left the room, he noticed that Ken followed them into the room and was laying at the foot of the bed. He pet the dog's head and walked to the master bedroom. When he got there, he noticed Makoto was laying in the bed, reading a book. Sousuke changed into a pair of grey sweatpants and grabbed his box of cigarettes with the ashtray. He went over to the window and opened it. He lit up a cigarette and began to smoke it. Makoto smelled the cigarette smoke and sighed.

"What's on your mind?"

Sousuke took a long drag of the cigarette and blew out the smoke. "It's what happened to Shiori. I know she's okay now but it's still gnawing at the back of my mind."

Makoto put his book down and swallowed the little lump in his throat. "We can't change the way people think or their views about certain topics."

"I know but some little punk made our daughter cry and that shit doesn't sit right with me."

"I agree with you. I hate seeing her cry."

"What we just saw today was the first time, right?"

"Yes."

"We're gonna keep seeing this until she graduates, aren't we?"

"Unfortunately yes; and when we have more, we'll see this happen again." Sousuke sighed and took another drag from his cigarette. The only wish he had for his family is that they wouldn't be ridiculed for something they had no control over. He hated to see Shiori being so sad and he hated knowing that some kid made her cry. Makoto got out of bed and wrapped his arms around Sousuke from behind and laid his head on Sousuke's shoulder.

"It bothers me too but we can't right all the wrongs in this world. All we have to do is be patient and trust that people will change their minds on their own." Sousuke blew out another puff of smoke and smiled a little.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"Every day. Now put that thing out and come to bed." Makoto said as he kissed Sousuke's cheek and got into bed. Sousuke put out the cancer stick in the ashtray and followed Makoto into the bed. The couple turned the lights off and snuggled with each other under the covers. Makoto and Sousuke wrapped themselves up in each other's arms and fell asleep, completely unaware of what is lurking in the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next chapter!


	17. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kisumi's twisted plan finally goes into action and everyone falls into despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are in any way triggered by graphic scenes depicting torture and abuse, I strongly advise you to skip a certain part in this chapter. I'll mark it for you so no worries. With that in mind, please enjoy this chapter and please don't hate me for this.
> 
> Oh, and remember when in the first chapter when I said not to got too attached to some of the characters? You might wanna abandon any and all attachments to the characters might have made. Trust me on this, it'll be a little easier on you if you do that.

It was the middle of the night when it happened. The Yamazaki household was asleep, unaware that their lives were about to change forever. A black van appeared in front of the house. In the van was Seijuurou and two Yakuza. Seijuurou was the driver while one Yakuza was to cut the security system and the other one to sneak in the house and kidnap Shiori. They'd been carefully planning the routes to the child's room and preparing for any and all possible interruptions such as Makoto or Sousuke waking up or the dog attacking. For those events, the group was prepared. The thug in charge of cutting the system pulled out a laptop and begun to hack into the system. Once he hacked into the system, he gave the thumbs up to the other one who nodded and walked into the house.

When he was inside, he pulled out his phone and took a look at the blueprints he had. If they were correct, the girl's room should be up the stairs and to the left. He put his phone away and quietly tiptoed to the child's bedroom. Slowly, ever so slowly, he crept up the stairs to get to the target's room. The sooner he got up there, the sooner he could get the fuck out of here and go back to hiding in the shadows with his fellow Yakuza. It felt so weird being in a cop's home. It was like being a wolf hiding among sheep; so painfully obvious, it was only a matter of time before he was found out and hunted down. He shook his head and continued towards his target. He couldn't let himself get distracted now.

The Yakuza made it to the girl's room and took a deep breath. This was it. The moment of truth. The moment where everything would change. He opened the door and slowly opened it. As predicted, the girl was asleep and the dog was sleeping at the foot of the bed. Speaking of the dog, he stirred awake and growled at the disturbance. The man closed the door and hid in the darkest corner to prepare a syringe for the dog. In the scenario where the dog woke up, he was to prepare a syringe with a sleeping agent that would knock a being--be them animal or human--unconscious for an hour or two. While he was preparing the syringe, Shiori woke up.

"Ken, what's wrong?"

The Yakuza held his breath. He was not prepared for this scenario. Great, looks like he'll have to drug the kid. Dammit! He was hoping that it wouldn't come to this but it looks like it's gonna happen. When the light turned on, the thug made eye contact with Shiori. The dog began to bark and Shiori began to scream. The man sprung into action and covered Shiori's mouth and stuck the syringe in her neck while he kicked Ken out of his way. Shiori kicked and struggles, knocking things over. The Yakuza struggled to hold her as the sleeping agent worked its magic. When the girl was finally unconscious, he opened the window and jumped out with Shiori in his arms and Ken barking like a crazy dog. Luckily, they landed in the bushes and no one was hurt. The Yakuza got up and ran back to the van. Once they were inside the van, Seijuurou started up the van and drove like hell.

They drove until they got to the abandoned house in the woods where Kisumi was waiting for them. When they got out of the car with a still unconscious Shiori, they followed Kisumi into the broken down home and down to the basement where there was barely any light and a cage big enough for a dog. Kisumi opened the door to the cage and pointed to it, indicating what he wanted. The Yakuza that was holding Shiori put her in the cage and shut the door. Kisumi gave his most twisted grin and let out a disturbing laugh.

"Sleep well Little Miss Yamazaki. When you wake up, Hell begins."

* * *

~The Next Morning~

* * *

The next morning, Makoto and Sousuke awoke to the dog scratching at their door and their daughter missing. They called the police and at the moment they were searching the home, looking for any and all clues that could help them find Shiori. As Makoto watched the cops go through their home, he prayed that this was nothing but a nightmare because only in a nightmare would this happen. He wanted to believe that none of this was real, that he'd wake up and check Shiori's room to find her in there, still asleep. But it wasn't. This was real. Shiori was missing and, for the moment, nowhere to be found. Makoto met eyes with Sousuke who was being interviewed by a detective. He could see the worry and unshed tears in his eyes. He knew Sousuke was thinking the same things he was. He looked away and took a deep breath another detective came into the kitchen and sat down across from him.

"Tachibana-san, is it alright if I ask a few questions?"

"Of course." Makoto sniffled.

"Where were you when your daughter was taken?"

"My boyfriend and I were asleep in our bedroom. W-we woke up to Ken, our dog, barking sometime after it happened. We shrugged it off thinking he was barking for no reason again. He does that sometimes."

"When did you realize that your daughter was missing?"

"This morning when Ken woke us up again, this time scratching at the bedroom door and barking louder than ever. Sousuke opened it and Ken ran away to Shiori's room. We followed him and saw that Shiori was missing and that's when we called the police to come in and investigate." Makoto never in a million years thought that he'd be in this position. Now he understood what the parents of missing children went through.

"Is there anyone you know that could have benefitted from your daughter disappearing?"

"No. Everyone loves Shiori, if anything, they'll want blood when they find out Shiori was taken."

"Do you or your partner have any reason for wanting Shiori out of the picture?"

"What are you insinuating?" Makoto narrowed his eyes.

"It's standard procedure to ruling out people in cases like these, Tachibana-san. Please answer the question." The detective pleaded. She may have seemed like she didn't think Makoto would do anything to his child, but Makoto knew better. She had that suspicious look in her eyes and he could see that.

"No. Sousuke and I would never think of hurting Shiori and we would have no reason to do anything of the sort."

"Have you seen any strange activity in the neighborhood leading up to now?"

"A black van."

"Excuse me?" The detective raised her eyebrow.

"Everyday for two weeks, a black van used to park across the street from our house. I thought our neighbor had some out-of-town visitors and it was just there so I didn't press on the issue. Thinking about it now, it may have been whoever was responsible for taking my baby. . ." Makoto said with his eyes welling up with tears. The detective knew she wouldn't get anything more out of Makoto in this state and stood up from the table.

"Thank you. We'll let you know when we find a new lead or your daughter. Until then, just keep yourself together. Here's my card if you need anything or come up with something else that could help us in finding your child." The detective gave Makoto her card which Makoto gratefully accepted. She left Makoto alone in the kitchen to break down and cry. Sousuke came into the kitchen and hugged Makoto as he cried.

"Who would wanna take Shiori? She never did anything to anyone!" Makoto cried.

"Some sick bastard. Wherever this guy went with Shiori couldn't have gotten far."

"But what if they have? What then?"

"We'll hunt the bastard down and get Shiori back. Just keep thinking of the day we'll be reunited."

Makoto smiled a little. All he wanted now more than ever was to get Shiori back home. He wanted the day she came back to be a happy one. They'd walk into the police station and see their little girl sitting with a detective. She'd spot them and run into Sousuke's waiting arms. He'd catch her and they'd have a family hug filled with happy tears, smiles, and laughter then they'd go home and celebrate Shiori returning home at long last and go to bed, happy that everything is alright again. Until then, Makoto would have to endure the pain of not knowing where his daughter is and thinking up the worst case scenario. He hoped that wherever Shiori was, she wasn't too far away.

* * *

**WARNING: THIS IS THE PART I WAS TALKING ABOUT IN THE BEGINNING NOTE. IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO A SCENE DEPICTING TORTURE OR ABUSE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM THEN I STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO SKIP THIS PART. WITH THAT SAID, READ AT YOUR OWN WILL**

* * *

_**"MAMA! PAPA!"** _

Shiori screamed as she banged on the cage door. She woke up feeling disoriented and out of place. It was cold and the only source of warmth were her pajamas and a blanket. The only light was coming from a lone window as the rest of the room was dark. This wasn't her home and she knew that well. There wasn't a room in the house that as terrible as this; not even their basement was this horrid! Mama and Papa wouldn't take her somewhere strange and leave her there. Shiori rattled her cage more and screamed, hoping that someone--anyone--would hear her and come to her aid. As she screamed for help, the door opened and someone came down the stairs. A light switch turned on and the room lit up.

The walls were grey like concrete and the floor was made out of wood that looked like it was freshly laid not too long ago. There was a table about teen feet from the cage with a bunch of stuff on it such as a knife, some stuff in bottles, some pieces of cloth, a rope, and a bunch of other items that cannot be named. Shiori gulped and began to shake in fear with terrifying thoughts of what will happen to her. The child was so caught up in her worrisome thoughts that she didn't notice that someone had tipped the cage over. A gasp came out from her lips as her view turned upside down.

"My God, you are annoying the hell outta me with all that damn screaming!"

Shiori looked up to see a man with purple eyes and a head full of pink hair. Shiori's eyes widened when she saw Kisumi. She backed away in fear when he saw the look he had in his eyes. Kisumi let out a disturbing grin and leaned against the cage. He hadn't even gotten to using what was on the table and the kid was already scared as hell. This was priceless! Kisumi tipped the cage back right side up and walked over to the table to look for something. Shiori began to whimper in fear as her stomach began to feel queasy. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be at home with Mama, Papa, and Ken. Shiori sniffled and wiped her eyes. All she wanted to do was go home. Kisumi turned around and walked back to the cage and opened it. Shiori climbed out of the cage and stood in front of Kisumi.

"I didn't even have to give you a command for that one, good girl. Now turn around and put your hands behind your back." Shiori did as she was told and felt a pair of bigger hands grab her wrists and a rough material wrapping tightly around them. Shiori bit back a whimper and tried to stay still. When Kisumi was done, he tugged the rope and began to walk away. Shiori followed him up the stairs and into a single bedroom. All that was in the room was a chair and the man Mama was arguing with a while back. Her heartbeat sped up in fear of what would happen to her. Kisumi tugged the rope harder and she followed him to the chair. She said down and Kisumi tied her to the seat then took out a knife from his back pocket with a sadistic smile.

"Let me go over some rules: no screaming, crying, biting, acts of defiance against me and my lovely assistant, or any other sound whatsoever. You will be punished if you break any of these rules."

"Wait, didn't she break one rule?" The other man asked.

"Oh! That's right! She was screaming a few minutes ago, wasn't she? I guess I have no other choice but to use Sir Cuts-a-lot~ Hold her down."

Heavy hands fell on her shoulders as Shiori began to struggle. She began to cry when Kisumi dragged the blade against her leg. It hurt so bad! She looked down and saw crimson liquid coming out of her leg and staining the legs of her pajamas. She screamed as Kisumi began to cut her more. Screams and cries of pain were all that were heard as the brutal deed was carried out. Neither man held any sort of remorse for what they were doing. After what seemed like hours, Kisumi stopped and heaved a tired sigh.

"I'm bored now. Seijuurou, lock her in the closet. She's earned a nice stay in solitary confinement for almost blowing my goddamn eardrums out." Kisumi instructed as he walked away. Shiori shook in fear as Seijuurou picked her up and carried her away. The child screamed and kicked her legs in protest until they made it to the closet. The door opened and Shiori was shoved in there. The door locked behind her and Shiori began to feel scared. It was dark and she couldn't see a thing. She sat down and rocked back and forth, asking herself why this had to happen to her.

* * *

  **IT IS SAFE TO READ**

* * *

Meanwhile, Kisumi was wiping the blood off of the knife in the basement when Seijuurou came down the stairs. Kisumi turned around and went back to the knife. There was nothing but silence between the two, save for the sounds of crickets and the wind blowing. The atmosphere was so tense that a knife could cut through it. Silence reigned over the room for a room, neither of the occupants knew how to start up a conversation. Finally, after some time, Kisumi rolled his eyes and started to sharpen the knife.

"How was the bastard after her playdate with Sir Cuts-a-lot?"

"She put up a little fight when I was carrying her to the closet but when I locked her in there, she got quiet."

"Good. I think today was kind of fun, don't you?"

"Yea... about this, Kisumi, I don't think I can go through with it anymore. What did she ever do to deserve this?"

"Have you already forgotten what's transpired from her very existence?! She's the reason why our respective relationships didn't work out! Makoto used you as a goddamn babysitter and Sousuke left me for his baby mama and their kid. Didn't just rub you the wrong way sometimes with all that baby spittle and dirty diapers and constant feedings?"

"Sometimes but I stuck it out for as long as I did because I loved Makoto but then the stress got to me and I snapped. . ." Seijuurou frowned as he remembered what happened between him and Makoto. He remembered Makoto begging him to stay and the unfair ultimatum he made. He knew it was unfair to make a parent choose between their child and love, it was obvious which one Makoto was gonna choose but he still tried to make Makoto choose. Kisumi sighed and put the knife down.

"What's so special about her anyways? Why are you so protective of her?"

"I dunno, I guess I still see her as that sweet little baby. I watched her laugh and smile, I heard her say her first word, I taught her how to walk, I fed her, I changed her diapers and rocked her to sleep. I remember vowing at one point to kill the first asshole who tried to hurt her." Seijuurou licked his lips, "I'll kill a man if I have to, but I refuse to lay a finger that child. I want to stop this, Kisumi. We're still young, we'll have many other chances at finding our someone. All we have to do is stop this madness and take her home."

Kisumi turned around and crossed his arms over his chest. "You want to stop? Oh Mikoshiba Seijuurou, I don't think you've fully grasped the situation as a whole."

"What do you mean?"

"You're just as guilty as I am. You had a hand in planning this, you drove the car that brought the little bastard here, you helped me set everything up, you held her down while I was cutting her, you carried her into that dark closet, and you're gonna do a bunch of other shit for me. You dug your grave the moment you agreed to help me." Seijuurou shook his head and slowly backed away as his stomach began to fill with anxiety.

"N-no... If I knew we'd be hurting her I never would have agreed to any of this! I'll turn you into the cops!"

"Heh, if you wanna turn me in you better invest in a dildo and start practicing. You'll need it for Bobo~" Kisumi sickeningly laughed. Seijuurou paled in fear and took a deep breath.

"What the hell to you mean?"

"If I go down then you can bet your sweet ass I'll take you down with me because I'm not going up the river alone because you flipped a goddamn switch!" Kisumi yelled. Seijuurou stayed quiet. No matter what he said, it wouldn't excuse the fact that he had a hand in all of this. If he were to go to the police, Kisumi would rat him out too. He had no choice to keep going forward. His grave was dug, all there was to do was wait for the coffin. Kisumi gave his signature twisted smile and walked away from the table.

"Meet back here in four days, we'll give the kid some time in solitary confinement. Ok, Mikoshiba-kun?"

"Yes."

"Good boy~" Kisumi cooed as he pet Seijuurou's cheek and left the basement. The red-haired man could only predict that everything was going to get worse from here, he could feel it.

* * *

 A Month Later

* * *

After a month, Shiori still had not been found. The police were going nuts trying to locate her but without any leads, where could they even begin to look? Everyone in Iwatobi tried to help as best they could by going on searches, putting up signs in the shops, and blowing up the media with everything they could and still, no one had come forward with information regarding Shiori's disappearance. As the days descended into night, so did the hope that Shiori was still alive. Makoto and Sousuke hated to think that their daughter died, but, with how things were going, it might have happened. Ever since rumors that Shiori is really dead were spread around, the media camped outside the house. Makoto looked out the window and sighed. It's bad enough his daughter was somewhere out there crying for him, he really doesn't need a bunch of paparazzi and news crew reminding him about it every time he stepped out in public.

"Are they still out there?" Sousuke asked as he looked over Makoto's shoulder.

"They won't leave until we give them what they want. I'm tired of them being here."

"You and me both. Do you need a lift to work?"

"Might as well, Nagisa has to open up shop today and I have to make sure he doesn't eat the pastries again. You can get your coffee while you're there." Sousuke chuckled and grabbed his car keys. Before the two could start walking to the garage, Sousuke's phone started to ring. He took it out of his pocket and saw that Rin was calling him.

"What is it, Rin?"

 _"You need to turn on the news, there's something you and Makoto have to see."_ With that, Rin hung up. Sousuke grabbed the remote and turned on the news. On the television was a reporter standing in front of their home with the headline 'Murder Cover-up?' written under her.

"Good morning, everyone! I am Fukawa Ai reporting live from in front of the Yamazaki household where just a month ago, five-year-old Yamazaki Shiori was abducted in the middle of the night. Authorities say that the abductor cut the security system and was able to get in through the front door and up the stairs into her room where he bypassed her dog and got to her and falling out the window with the child, miraculously surviving, and then running to a getaway van, never to be seen again. The only clues the police have to go on is what was provided by the parents as well as what was found in her room. At the moment, there is no suspect but detectives have reason to believe that the parents murdered their own child in cold-blood and staged it to look like a kidnapping. Take a look at this interview with Detective Masahiru, the leader of this investigation."

The screen cut to the reporter and the detective sitting across from each other in a well-furnished room.

"Parents killing their offspring and staging it like a kidnap is not a rarity in cases like these. They happen more often than you think they do. You see, both are young. I work with the victim's father sometimes and he seems like a nice enough gentleman but you never know what's hiding underneath the surface and according to the doctor who treated Makoto during his first pregnancy, the child was conceived in their teens."

"Forgive me, but, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Makoto and Sousuke weren't together during that time meaning while Makoto was changing diapers and making bottles, Sousuke was having the time of his life. When they got back together, Makoto realized what he missed out on during what was supposed to be his college years and snapped, killing their daughter."

"How do you think it happened?"

"I'm assuming from the lack of blood that Makoto smothered her in her sleep. Sousuke woke up to the dog barking and found his daughter dead. Makoto realizes what he's done and breaks down then Sousuke has the idea of staging a kidnapping. He tells Makoto to throw the body in a river where no one would be able to find it. While Makoto is doing that, Sousuke has time to mess up the room a little to make it look like what we found at the scene. When Makoto comes home, the two talk all night about what they'll say to us and make up the story that their daughter had been kidnapped."

"Do you have any evidence supporting this theory?"

"The fact that when their dog was barking in the middle of the night and they ignored it sounds suspicious and then they waited until the next morning to contact authorities."

"While it does sound suspicious, it's all a theory, right? It's not true?"

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. We won't know until we act on these thoughts."

"Are you planning to take action on your theory?"

"Yes. Today we plan question the parents and perform a search on all the rivers in Iwatobi."

"Thank you for your time, Detective. I hope you succeed in your search."

Sousuke turned the television off and looked at his boyfriend. Makoto was heavily breathing and had tears in his eyes. There was no doubt this new accusation got to him. Sousuke took him into his arms and rubbed his back. He let Makoto cry on his shoulders as he let a few tears of his own slide out. He couldn't believe this. How did they come to be suspects in their daughter's kidnapping? More or less, why would someone think that they murdered her?! It wasn't true, none of it. It was just Masahiru being an ass and not admitting defeat.

"It's ok, Makoto. Their evidence isn't based on anything other than a stupid theory Masahiru made up. I know how his mind works."

"It's n-not ab-bout that!"

"Huh? What's it about then?"

"T-the t-thought that someone m-m-murdered Shiori!" Makoto wailed. Sousuke frowned. He didn't want to think of their daughter as dead. As a father it was unimaginable to think about such a thing and it was a scary thought. It was one of those recurring nightmares that you just can't seem to shake away, no matter what the hell you do to try and shake them away. Sousuke's nightmare was in the form of his daughter dying and it scared him to death.

"What do we do now? Those detectives are gonna drill us until they get what they want!" Sousuke snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Makoto. Tears were running down his face and he had worry and fear were clearly displayed in his face. Sousuke wiped Makoto's tears away and pressed their foreheads together.

"We're gonna go to my car, I'll drop you off at the coffee ship then I'll go to the station, talk to Masahiru and clear our names, ok? We're both innocent so there's nothing to worry about. The worst that can happen is we're unfairly tried and incarcerated."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"We'll be fine. C'mon, the sooner we get down there, the sooner this is all over." Makoto nodded and the two went to the garage. They got in the car and pulled out of their garage. The moment the door opened and the car started to pull out, the paparazzi hounded the car, asking various questions about Shiori's disappearance and whether or not it was all a cover-up. The couple ignored them and looked straight ahead.

It'd been like this for a month. Paparazzi camping out in front of their home and hounding them for questions everyday. It was annoying but, somehow, they'd gotten used to this madness. Once they managed to get through the crowd, they drove to the coffee shop where more paparazzi were waiting. Makoto took a deep breath and opened the car door. The sooner he got inside, the sooner he'd get to go home and hide himself away in bed for the rest of the night. As he exited the car, the media proceeded to hound him with questions regarding Shiori. He ignored them as he entered the shop. It was empty inside and Makoto knew it was from the crowd outside. He went into the backroom. When he entered the room, Nagisa and their boss were waiting. The two looked like they'd just had a serious conversation and came to a conclusion that wasn't going to be easy for everyone.

"What's going on?" Makoto asked.

"We saw the news, Mako-chan," Nagisa responded, "did you murder Shi-chan?" Makoto felt like a ton of bricks fell on him when he was asked that question.

"No! I didn't kill her!"

"But the news said you did and then Sou-chan covered it up to make it look like a kidnapping!" Nagisa cried.

"You've known me for years, Nagisa. I'd never kill my child or any child in general. The very thought that I'd be capable of such an act makes me sick. It's just a baseless theory a detective came up with because there were no more leads." The blond still didn't look convinced. Makoto felt tears pricking up in his eyes and put his hands on Nagisa's shoulders. "Come on, Nagisa. Do you honestly believe that I would actually kill my daughter?" Nagisa frowned and began to cry as he hugged Makoto.

"I'm sorry, Mako-chan! I know you wouldn't kill Shi-chan!"

Makoto looked to his boss with pleading eyes. "Do you think I killed my daughter?"

"No. I know for a fact you wouldn't but many people seem to think you did. I remember when your daughter was a toddler and you brought her to work with you when you couldn't get a babysitter. You two sat her up on the counter with a high chair and had her sitting there, guilt tripping people into buying more than what they came in here for." The boss chuckled at the memories. He licked his lips and looked Makoto in the eyes. "Makoto, in the years I've gotten to know you, I've thought of you as my own son and I'd love to keep you working here, but, I have a business to run and with a rumor like this surrounding one of my employees, I can't have you working here."

"A-are you. . . _firing_ me?"

"I'm afraid so. I don't want to do this to you, I really don't, but, in light of recent events, I must. I'll still pay you for this week and I'll send the check to you home. I'm sorry." The man apologized as he left. Makoto nodded in understanding, took off his apron and gave it to Nagisa.

"Make sure the next person who wears this knows what they're doing with the espresso machine." Makoto laughed. Nagisa chuckled and looked at his friend through tear-filled eyes.

"Are you going to be fine in the police station?"

"I will. They're basing this accusation off of a theory and theories get debunked when presented with enough evidence. I'll see you around, Nagisa." With that, Makoto left the back room and looked out into the seating area and saw Sousuke standing there, waiting for him. Makoto the coupe walked towards each other until they met in the middle.

"I had a feeling something would happen when you came in here so I followed you. What happened?"

"They heard the rumor and the boss fired me." Makoto mumbled. Sousuke frowned and hugged Makoto.

"You'll be fine. I'll drop you off at home and then I'll head to the station and sort everything out, ok?" The brunette nodded and walked out the shop with Sousuke close behind him.

As the two made their way to the car, they were once again hounded with questions about their daughter. They got into the car and drove off in the direction of their home. When they got there, Makoto got out of the car and ran into their house, narrowly dodging the paparazzi. He went upstairs to go and take a nap and on the way there, he saw Ken laying in front of Shiori's door. He frowned and pet the dog's head.

"I miss her too." Ken looked at Makoto the back to Shiori's door. Ever since she disappeared, Ken just sat out in front of her bedroom door, thinking that she'd be back. Makoto went to his and Sousuke's room and aid down on the bed. He stared at the wall, thinking about his daughter, where she was, and if she were unharmed.

* * *

**WARNING: THERE IS SOME ABUSE HERE TOO. PLEASE DO NOT READ IF IT WILL TRIGGER YOU.**

* * *

Shiori sat in her cage with her knees pulled up to her chest. It'd been a month since she was here and in that month, she was tortured, physically and psychologically. She was beaten, cut, bruised, starved, forced to eat bugs and spoilt food that made her sick, tied up against a pole with rope, almost drowned to death, locked in a dark closet for hours at a time, been kept awake by her captors for many hours, verbally and emotionally abused, and subjected to really loud noises that hurt her ears. She wanted to go home. Back to Mama, Papa, and Ken. Back to the days where she'd wake up with Ken licking her face and following her everywhere; back to the days where Papa would sneak an extra piece of cake up to her room and sing her a lullaby to help her sleep; back to the days where Mama would read her a story and hold her when she got upset. At the moment, she needed Mama to hold her. She missed her mother. A tear slid out of her eye as she thought of her home.

"I wanna go home. . ." The girl cried to herself.

She didn't want to be here anymore. She wanted to be home, where everything was alright, instead of here, where nothing was alright. The basement door opened and footsteps came down the stairs. Shiori quickly wiped away all evidence that she'd been crying for she didn't want another playdate with Sir Cuts-a-lot or, worse, another beating. Kisumi came down the stairs with an unusually happy grin on his face. He had a spring in his step and a newspaper in his hand. Shiori could tell that whatever was said in that newspaper made him happy.

"Can you read yet?" Shiori shook her head no. Kisumi rolled his eyes.

"Of course not. A little idiot like _you_ wouldn't know how to read anyways. It says here that with the lack of evidence left behind in your room, you are now presumed dead. The police are trying to search for your body!" Kisumi laughed. Shiori's eyes began to well up with tears again. Mama and Papa thought she was dead? That means they'll stop looking for her and she'll never get out of here! The tears began to fall down her face and before she could wipe them away, Kisumi saw them. "Oh, don't tell me you're about to cry again because if you are, I just might have to take away your meals for today." Shiori felt anger rise up within her as she glared at her captor.

"Go ahead!" She yelled, "I don't wanna eat any of that disgusting shit anyways!" As soon as the words left her mouth, Shiori paled in fear. Kisumi looked at her in surprise as he put his newspaper down and clenched his jaw tightly.

"What the _fuck_ did you just say to me?" Kisumi growled between clenched teeth.

"N-nothing. . ."

"Oh hell no, it was something. You talked back to me and I heard a swear word in there." Kisumi opened the door to the cage and pulled Shiori out by her arm.

Shiori screamed in pain as she was pulled out of her cage. Kisumi's grip around her wrist was tight and she struggled to get away from him. He punched her in the face. She fell down and felt a kick at her side. She began to cry in pain as Kisumi continued to beat her. It hurt so bad and she wanted it to end. Kisumi grabbed her by the hair and threw her against a wall. Shiori clutched her aching head in her hands ad panted heavily, hoping that this was the last of it, but it wasn't. Kisumi proceeded to beat her some more, ignoring the child's pleas for him to stop. After a few agonizing minutes, Kisumi finally stopped. He took the rope off the table and tied Shiori's hands behind her back. He picked her up and carried her out of the basement.

Once Shiori realized the path they were going, she began to whimper in fear knowing what was to happen to her. Kisumi opened the closet door and tossed her in there like an old rag doll. The pink haired man got a radio and switched it on to a station that played nothing but loud rock music. He turned the radio up on its highest volume and left it in the closet with Shiori, locking the door. Shiori scrambed to her feet when she heard the loud noise. She screamed as it pounded against her eardrums. She rant to he door and banged her head against it, screaming in apology and promising to never talk back or curse again. Shiori didn't want to listen to the noise anymore. She wanted to be in her cage, in the silence where it was just her and the rats that scurried by. Most of all, she wanted to be at home. At the thought of being at home, she dropped to her knees and began to cry, screaming for Mama and Papa.

* * *

**IT IS SAFE TO READ**

* * *

Makoto ended up staring at the wall for hours, not once moving out of bed since he didn't need to use the bathroom or feel like eating. How could he? He just got fired from his job, he and Sousuke were accused of committing murder and staging it to look like a kidnap, and his daughter was nowhere to be found. Who could function in those situations? The bedroom door opened and he heard footsteps coming towards him. Makoto didn't bother looking up to know that it was Sousuke. A large hand rested itself on his shoulder and rubbed it a little.

"Baby, you need to get out of bed and come downstairs with me." Sousuke said.

"Why?"

"Just do it. You can't stay in bed forever." Sousuke replied as he continued to shake Makoto until he finally got out of bed. Sousuke took Makoto's hand and led him downstairs tot he living room where everyone was. Rin, Haru, Rei, Nagisa, Makoto's parents, Sousuke's parents, Gou, and Hotaru. Makoto raised an eyebrow and looked at Sousuke with a questioning look.

"What's going on? Is this an intervention or something?"

"No, it's not. Just sit down and I'll explain." Makoto nodded and sat down next to his mother who wrapped her arms around him and held him close. Sousuke stood in the center of the living room and cleared his throat, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

"I'd like to thank everyone for coming here. As you all know, there is lack of evidence in Shiori's case and every lead the detectives working the case followed, including the newest theory that Makoto and I killed her, has gone cold. I went through questioning again and as I was in the interrogation room, they searched all the rivers of Iwatobi for Shiori's body. During interrogation, the detectives couldn't link Makoto and I to the crime and their searches of the rivers didn't retrieve anything other than a bunch of objects that were thrown in. The detectives informed me that since their final lead has gone cold and there's no clues pointing to where Shiori might be, the detectives have decided to drop the case and have assumed that wherever Shiori was taken, she isn't alive anymore." As Sousuke said this, he had begun to cry.

"Sousuke, what are you saying?" Makoto asked, fearing the worst.

"Our little girl is gone. Forever." Sousuke cried.

As soon as Makoto heard those words, he felt as if his world ended. Tears poured down his eyes as he stood up and ran upstairs. This was a nightmare. This had to be a nightmare. Shiori wasn't dead, she just wasn't! When he reached his room, he got in the bed and closed his eyes, whispering to himself to wake up from this nightmare. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, Makoto stopped and sat up. This wasn't a nightmare. Shiori was really dead. He felt his heart sinking down to the bottom of his stomach. He put his head in his hands and began to weep. Sousuke walked in the room and sat down on the bed. He pulled Makoto closed to him and held him as they both cried.

"Our baby's gone! She's never coming back!" Makoto cried. He never thought he'd outlive his child. No parent in their right mind would ever think of outliving their own child. It was horrible when their child actually died before they did. The couple stayed like that until they fell asleep crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm sorry if you were triggered while reading this, it was not my intention to do that to you. Stay tuned for the next chapter.


	18. Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four months later, something good finally happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. So, um, sorry for how dark the last chapter got. In case no one noticed, I edited the tags and changed the archive warning for the people who decided to give the story a go. With that in mind, please enjoy this chapter! I promise it won't be as dark as the last chapter... well, it gets dark from bit to bit but not as fucked up as the last chapter got. I was caught up in the mood I was trying to set and seeing as how the last chapter ended, I got really carried away. Anyways, enjoy this chapter!

Sousuke frowned as he walked into the bedroom with a breakfast tray to see that Makoto hadn't moved an inch since he woke up. Ever since the police stopped working on their daughter's case and declared her dead, Makoto hadn't been himself. Gone was the vibrant smile that always seemed tattooed on his face and the light his beautiful emerald orbs held within them. They were replaced by an ever present frown and the light in his eyes turned dim, almost dark with depression. Sousuke couldn't criticize Makoto too harshly, he has been through a lot. He lost his job over a rumor that idiot Masahiru spread over TV (which the detectives involved got fired for since they acted on a theory with no evidence supporting it and announced it on live TV), he was accused of a serious crime, and he has to deal with the pain of outliving Shiori. Tears came to Sousuke's eyes when he thought about Shiori.

After four months, it as still hard to believe that Shiori was gone; never to be seen or heard from again. Sousuke hated knowing that his little girl was the target of a horrible crime. It made his blood boil knowing some sick bastard did the deed. When he found out he had a daughter, he vowed to kill whoever tried to cause her harm and now that it's happened, he wanted to find out who did it and get his revenge. He wanted to find the bastard that hurt his little girl and rip their head off and make them suffer. The breakfast tray started to shake in his hands and he had to calm himself down. He made this for Makoto, he didn't want to have to go back down to the kitchen and make more eggs and toast. He walked closer to their bed and tried his best to put a bright smile on his face.

"Makoto, can you sit up for me? You have to eat." Makoto sat up and Sousuke set the tray down. Makoto's usually bright emerald eyes were bloodshot red and puffy with tears. His hair was messy and unkempt as if he hadn't combed it in a while. Makoto had even started to grow a beard since he hadn't shaved in a couple weeks. In short, Makoto looked like a wreck, his usually neat appearance now completely disheveled. He slowly picked up the fork and poked at his food a little bit, like a child refusing to eat their vegetables.

"I'm not hungry." He said in a low voice.

"You have to eat something. I don't want you to starve yourself to death."

"I'm already dead inside. Why not let it happen on the outside?"

Sousuke frowned and felt his heart break a little. It hurt seeing Makoto like this. It was like someone had sucked out all of the happiness from his boyfriend and left him the remains behind. He knew that Makoto was still reeling from losing their daughter. What parent could easily bounce back from a pain like that? Losing a child was like losing a part of yourself. It created a black hole that only depression, grief, and self-loathing could fill. Sousuke looked at the clock and saw that it was time for him to head off to work. He kissed Makoto's cheek and grabbed his jacket off the dresser.

"I've gotta go to work now. I'll see you when I get home. I love you."

Makoto didn't say a word. He just kept poking at his breakfast. Sousuke's frown deepened as he left the room and went down the stairs. He left the house and got into his car. He drove to the police station, passing by Shiori's school on the way to work. In the months Shiori had been gone, it hurt to pass by the building and watch the parents dropping their children off at school. Seeing all those parents and children were a cruel reminder that his own child was gone. Sousuke looked in his rear-view mirror and saw the empty car seat in the back. He missed seeing Shiori sitting there, smiling at him and laughing when he cracked a joke. He sighed heavily as he forced the oncoming tears to stay in his eyes as he continued on his drive to work. He wanted to move on from the pain of losing Shiori, but it was going to take some time for the wound to heal.

When he got to work, he was greeted with the same sight of cops walking around with packets of papers and a bunch of criminals in holding cells going on and on about how they didn't do it and that they wanted their mommies. Sousuke bitterly laughed and sat at his desk. You'd think that after they got caught in the act, the criminals would stop trying to claim innocence. He began to do some paperwork as Rin came in and sat down at his desk with their coffee. Sousuke grabbed his cup and took a small sip before returning to work. Rin looked at Sousuke and frowned a little. He knew that Sousuke wasn't in the best state of mind with what happened to his family. Rin didn't have to pretend to know what Sousuke was feeling, having felt this way when Haru lost Kiyoshi. Rin put on his signature shark-tooth grin and acted like his usual self.

"Hey, how are you and Makoto doing? I haven't seen or heard from him in a while." Sousuke looked at Rin then went back to his paperwork.

"Not too well. Makoto hasn't left the house in four months and he's not himself anymore."

"You guys just went through a traumatic loss. That's something you can't bounce back from so easily. Do you guys talk to each other?"

"Barely. When we talk, it's usually me telling Makoto that he needs to eat or he has to take a shower and him replying with something dark and depressing. After that we just don't talk to each other for the rest of the night. We end up repeating the cycle the next day. It's exhausting and sometimes I don't even recognize that man. It's like I wake up and fall asleep next to a total stranger."

"Do you still love him?"

"Of course I do and I'm not thinking about leaving him if that's what you're trying to get at. I get scared when I leave that house everyday because something in the back of my mind tells me that I'll come home to find Makoto dead or that he's left. I know he loves me and would never do that to me, but, grief can do crazy fucked up things to people and we've seen it happen."

Rin frowned. It was true, in their line of work they have seen people commit crimes out of grief for a dearly departed loved one so Sousuke's fear was justified. Sousuke stopped working and looked at a picture that he took of Makoto and Shiori the day they moved into their house. Makoto was reading a bedtime story to Shiori and Sousuke saw a chance to take a picture. He tried to be sneaky when he took it but Makoto and Shiori noticed him and smiled at the camera. A sad smile came to Sousuke's face when he thought about that. He wanted the pain he felt in his heart to go away. He wanted to stop hurting and he wanted to be happy again.

"Rin, can you tell me something?"

"What is it?"

"How did you forget?"

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Forget what?"

"About Kiyoshi. How did you forget?" Rin sighed and scratched the back of his neck.

"You can't forget about Shiori. You can try all you want but she's still there in your heart and mind. The more you try forgetting, the worse you hurt yourself in the process and bottling up all that hurt you're feeling; it's not good for you, man. It's even worse when all you do is think about it constantly and think about everything you could have done differently."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Accept that she's gone and live with it. That's the cruel reality of it all. I know it will hurt but it's better than being in complete denial and losing your fucking mind."

"What about Makoto? He's practically shut himself off since Shiori's been gone. How will I get through to him?"

"Makoto is the mother and has spent everyday of the past five years with Shiori so it's no wonder he's taking this so hard. He'll come around sooner or later, you just have to patient with him. Now come on and work before the chief notices and goes nuts. His wife put everyone at home on a vegan diet and he's going through meat withdrawal." Sousuke rolled his eyes and laughed as he began to work again. All he's been doing for the past four months was be patient with Makoto. He's been trying to wait for Makoto to open up to him, but it was hard. Grief clouds the mind with depressing thoughts and makes one forget about everything and everyone around them. Sousuke heavily sighed as he worked, thinking about Makoto and how he can try talking to him again.

* * *

Later, in the afternoon, Makoto was in the living room watching TV with Ken in his lap. After Sousuke left, he finally ate his breakfast and then Ken got hungry. He went downstairs to fill up Ken's bowls and decided to stay down there and watch TV. It was a hell of a lot better than being left alone with his current thoughts. Never in five years did he think that he'd be in this position. He never thought that Shiori would be gone. He was living every parents' worst nightmare. After hearing that his daughter was dead, he'd shut himself off and laid himself in his bed. He felt like a part of him died when Shiori disappeared. Sure, some of the shops still have her picture up in hopes that she was still alive and that someone will come up with something but, obviously, no one but the person who took his daughter away knows where Shiori is and they're not saying a word.

A knock at the door sounded and Ken started to bark as he ran to the door. Makoto chuckled and got up from the couch. He waked to the door and managed to get the dog out of the way so that he could open the door. The person behind the door was Haru with a bag of food. Everyday for the past four months, Haru had been bringing him lunch. Makoto smiled a little and stepped aside to let Haru in. Makoto closed the door and went into the kitchen with Haru. Today's lunch was some stew Haru had made for him with some mackerel thrown in. Makoto laughed. It wasn't Haru's cooking unless mackerel was part of the recipe. Makoto took out the chopsticks and began to eat.

"You don't have to keep doing this for me, Haru."

"You're my friend. Friends do this, right?"

Makoto laughed. "I guess they do. So, anything new with you?"

"Not really, just been being my usual self. I just got another offer from Tokyo."

"What is it this time?"

"A new gourmet place that just opened up. The owner said I'd be paid well and I'd work with the finest ingredients money could buy."

"That sounds good! Are you thinking of taking it?"

"No. Rin and I made an agreement that when we were ready to start a family again, we'd never raise them in the city. Besides, we have history in Iwatobi and it'd be weird to start over again in Tokyo."

Makoto laughed a little and then put his chopsticks down. "Hey, Haru?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry if this is too personal, but, if you hadn't had the miscarriage, where do you think you'd be now?"

Haru frowned a little and put a hand on his stomach. It's been six months since losing Kiyoshi and it still tugs at his heart strings. "Considering it's been six months, I'd be at home taking care of my baby. Sometimes I have dreams about Rin, Kiyoshi, and I being a happy family. We're all smiling and laughing and there's nothing bad happening to us. I wake up from those dreams in the middle of the night, expecting to see a crib with a sleeping baby in it on the other side of our room and there isn't. It makes me cry knowing that Kiyoshi didn't get a chance to live life. How have you been holding up since Shiori's death?"

"Not well. I find it hard to get out of bed and I find it hard to function. Every time I walk by her room, I open the door, thinking she's asleep in there. I cry when I find it empty because it just reminds me that my daughter is gone. I blame myself for her kidnapping. I should have pressed on the issue about that black van, I should have went into Shiori's room when I heard Ken barking the first time. If I was smart, I would have acted on it and Shiori would still be here. It's all my fault this happened."

"Makoto, please don't-"

"It IS my fault!" Makoto started to cry. "The day she was born I promised to take care of her as best I could. I promised that I would protect her for as long as I could and look where we are now. Shiori's gone because I didn't do my job as her mother! I failed my duties as a parent and worst of all I failed her! She's dead because of me!"

Haru got up and hugged Makoto as he cried. He was in Makoto's position six months ago. Haru blamed himself for what happened to Kiyoshi. All it took was Rin to tell him that he didn't need to go through the pain alone. Now that Makoto was the one in this position, Sousuke had to man up and help Makoto through this. As Makoto cried, he thought of Shiori crying for him and Sousuke. He felt like he failed Shiori. No, he did fail her. As much as people can tell him that it wasn't his fault and that he didn't know anything was happening, it still doesn't get rid of the feelings of guilt he had.

"Makoto, have you talked to Sousuke about any of this?"

"We barely talk anymore. He just tells me that I have to eat or shower and I respond with something depressing. Shiori hasn't come up in conversation since the day the police declared her dead. It hurts to talk about her and think about her."

"You guys have to talk, even if it's gonna hurt. You need someone to comfort you through this and Sousuke is the one to comfort you. When I lost Kiyoshi, I felt like my word ended and there was no more light left. I was just a walking corpse, waiting for my time to come. One day, Rin held me as I cried and told me that I didn't need to suffer that pain all by myself and that he'd be there for me and he still is. I don't know where I'd be without Rin there to hold me, comfort me, and tell me he loves me."

Makoto smiled. "What would I do without a friend like you?"

"I dunno. Go nuts without a friend to mother hen on?" Makoto laughed and hugged Haru back. Makoto knew what he had to do. He and Sousuke needed to talk to each other about this. They haven't talked about Shiori in four months and they needed to talk about this with each other. Haru looked at the time and rubbed his friend's back.

"I have to go, Makoto. I'll see you tomorrow." Makoto nodded and Haru left. The brunette ate his lunch and began to contemplate how he'd talk with Sousuke.

* * *

Shiori wasn't doing well. In the five months she's been gone from home, she began to lose hope that she'd ever go home. With each day that passed, she felt as if her prayers of escape were ignored. Everyday she endured pain at her captors' hands and everyday she wished she were dead. She felt herself growing sicker and sicker with each day that passed, she threw up on herself more times than she could count, and she was bitten by a rat a couple weeks ago and now there's a rash on her hand. Everyday, whether Kisumi or Seijuurou came down to the basement first, she would ask if she could go home. Kisumi would just laugh and say that only in her dreams she's return home and Seijuurou would say that he didn't know when she'd go home. It crushed Shiori's hope to think that she'd never go home but she still stayed determined.

Shiori yawned and looked out of the one window in this bleak basement. It was dark outside, indicating that it was night time. In the time she's been here, the lone window had been her only companion. She probably would have gone crazy had not the window been there. Sometimes when she was alone and it was a sunny day outside, she'd pretend that the rays of the sun were an outstretched hand and she'd reach out to grab it. Of course it wasn't a real hand, but, it was fun to pretend it was. It felt as if there was someone there to take her away from all of this. She felt tired and laid down on the little blanket that was in her cage. She began to go in between the planes of being awake and unconscious. She tried to stay awake but with how heavy her eyelids were growing, it was getting harder. Slowly, she closed her eyes as she felt her body go numb and her vision go black.

The basement door opened and down the steps came Seijuurou and Kisumi. They were both annoyed with one another and looked like they wanted to rip each other's heads off. They were once again talking about letting Shiori go. Kisumi wanted to keep her until Sousuke and Makoto broke up but Seijuurou wanted to let her go. They bumped heads on that issue because Kisumi felt like Seijuurou was going soft and Seijuurou felt that Kisumi was being cruel, which he really was. The pair glared at each other with a burning anger in their eyes.

"This has gone far enough, Kisumi! She needs to get out of here and to a doctor!"

"And why's that?!"

"Haven't you seen her these past few days? She's sick and she's probably gotten some diseases from being holed up in this dirty basement everyday! She's practically a walking bag of bones because of the shit you've been feeding her. How long are you planning to keep her locked up in this filthy basement?"

"Not until Sousuke and Makoto have broken up! And if from what I heard is true from my guys, they're still together."

"This is an innocent child we're talking about! We can't make her pay for our failed relationships!" Seijuurou went to Shiori's cage and opened it.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

"I'm taking Shiori and leaving. Honey, wake up, we're leaving. I'm gonna take you home to your mother." Seijuurou snapped at Kisumi then said to the unconscious child. When Shiori didn't move from her spot, the man reached a hand in and tried to shake her awake. He began to get scared as he shook her awake more. She didn't respond. Seijuurou took her out of the cage and tried to feel her wrist for a heartbeat. He felt a faint pulse and smiled a little. She was alive, but she was unconscious.

"Is she dead?" Kisumi asked, with no indication of concern in his voice.

"No, just unconscious. I'm taking her to the hospital so that a doctor can see her." Seijuurou moved to leave with Shiori but then Kisumi grabbed his arm.

"You do know that one day the police will interview her, right? She'll tell them about everything that's happened here--everything we've done--and we'll go to prison and have to answer for what we've done. Can you really live with that and still say that she's worth it?"

"Unlike you I'm willing to atone for my sins so, yea, she is worth it."

Seijuurou got out of Kisumi's grasp and ran upstairs with Shiori in his arms. He was tired of standing by and letting Kisumi go fucking nuts. He had to do the right thing. Sure, he was an accomplice, but, he would feel guilty if she were to die here. He put her in the back seat of his car and strapped her in the seat. He then got in the front seat, started the car, and drove off. As he drove to the hospital, he kept looking back at Shiori to make sure she was fine. He should have done this sooner. With luck on his side, Shiori would make it. He drove through Iwatobi at a fast pace, ignoring various red lights and almost getting into crashes with others to get her to a hospital. When he got to the hospital, he got out of the car and took Shiori out of the back seat and ran inside the emergency room with the unconscious child in his arms. Her limp body swung with the wind as Seijuurou ran. He made it to the emergency room, panting heavily and catching the attention of all the doctors and nurses.

"Please, someone, help this child! She's unconscious and not waking up!"

A nurse came in with a gurney and gently took Shiori out of his arms. She and some other nurses and a doctor rushed Shiori to the nearest operating room while Seijuurou wrote a note for the doctor taking care of Shiori, instructing them to call Sousuke and Makoto when they were finished. He wanted to stay and make sure Shiori was gonna be fine, but he didn't want to run the risk of being called a hero when he was a villain. What the hell kind of hero would stand back and watch as an innocent child was tortured? He left the note on the nurse's desk then left the emergency room. Seijuurou got in his car and drove home, not wanting to be called a hero when he, himself, knew he was a villian.

* * *

Later that night, Makoto was sitting in the living room, waiting for Sousuke to come home. It was a little after midnight and Sousuke still hadn't returned home. After talking to Haru earlier that afternoon, he figured that he and Sousuke should talk. In these last four months, they haven't had a proper conversation with one another and Makoto felt as if they were growing distant from each other. Makoto cleaned himself up and made dinner for the two of them in the kitchen which he, thankfully, didn't burn. He sat in the kitchen waiting for Sousuke, but, after two hours, Sousuke hadn't returned home. Makoto ate alone and ended up leaving Sousuke's food in the microwave. He moved to the living room and watched some TV to distract himself from thoughts that Sousuke probably left him.

Makoto frowned at that thought. He knew he wasn't acting like his usual self for some time and he knew that deep down it was annoying his boyfriend. The reason he made the dinner was to both talk to Sousuke and apologize for himself. He felt terrible for pushing him away these past four months and wanted to make amends for it. Makoto turned the TV off and was about to try calling Sousuke again when he heard something pulling up in the driveway. He opened the blinds and saw Sousuke's car outside. A smile carved it's way onto the brunette's face as he went to the front door to wait for Sousuke. After a few minutes, Sousuke finally opened the door and Makoto gave him a big smile.

"Welcome home, Sousuke."

Sousuke jumped in fear and held onto the door way as he looked at Makoto. He never knew that Makoto would have gotten out of bed by himself. Once he regained his composure, Sousuke got in the house and stared at Makoto in surprise. "Why are you up so late?"

"I made dinner for the two of us but then I got tired of waiting so I ate alone. By the way, your dinner's in the microwave."

"You cooked?" Sousuke asked with surprise. Makoto laughed and blushed a little.

"I wanted to do something special for you and maybe we could actually talk for the first time in months. Sousuke, I wanted to apologize because I've been pushing you away and I know there's no excuse for my latest behavior but I'm still hurting from Shiori's disappearance and when I'm hurt, really hurt, all I can do is push people away, internalize my feelings, and I shut down. I'm sorry for pushing you away. You are the last person on this earth who deserves to be treated like that. Can you ever forgive me?"

Sousuke licked his lips and exhaled heavily. "You don't have to apologize. We just went through a major loss and for you to be acting distant isn't anything new. Look, Makoto, I know you're still hurting from everything that's happened but you don't have to internalize anything or shut down or push people away. I'm hurting too and I'm here for you. You don't have to be alone. I love you a lot and I know that you and I can get through this together." Makoto smiled and wrapped his arms around Sousuke's neck and lightly pecked his lips.

"I love you too, Sousuke. Come on, you go in the kitchen and heat your food up while I go and draw you a nice, hot bath. You smell like sweat and gunpowder." Sousuke laughed and kissed Makoto's forehead.

"Rin and I ate some take-out while we were on patrol so I'm not hungry. Come on, let's go take a bath, together."

"Wait, together?" Makoto heavily blushed.

"Yea. We haven't had some time to ourselves in a while and I wanted to spend time with my boyfriend." Makoto blushed a little and hid his face in Sousuke's chest.

"Oh, Sousuke, you have no idea what you do to me."

Sousuke laughed. "I think I have an idea." Sousuke's phone rang and the two looked at each other in confusion. Sousuke reached in his pocket for his phone and answered it. "Hello? . . . Yes, this is he. . . . Are you serious? . . . Alright, in that case we'll be down there as soon as possible. Thank you." Sousuke hung up the phone and looked at Makoto.

"What happened? Is everything alright?" Makoto asked.

"That was a doctor from the hospital. Shiori was dropped off in the emergency room hours ago by an unknown man."

Makoto's heart stopped at the mention of his daughter. She was alive? After four months of grieving a devastating loss, she was alive. "Is she alright?"

"The doctors had her in the O.R. for a while and now she's in her own hospital room. They wouldn't tell me what happened to her over the phone because it was better that they tell us in person. We have to get there right now." Makoto nodded and the two left the house. They got in Sousuke's car and left for the hospital. On their way to the hospital, the couple thought about how their daughter was doing. They hadn't seen her in five months and they could only wonder how she was doing. Their best hope was that Shiori was healthy and she had her usual bright smile on her face.

When they got into the hospital, they got out of the car and ran inside. Sousuke and Makoto ran to the nurse's desk, panting heavily. "Please," Sousuke panted, "Tell me, which room *pant* Yamazaki Shiori is in."

"You must be her parents. She's in room 416 and the doctor is waiting for you outside of her room. You can take the elevator."

"Thank you."

Makoto and Sousuke walked to the elevator and pushed the button to the fourth floor. On the way up to the fourth floor, Makoto grabbed Sousuke's hand and smiled at him. Sousuke looked at him and smiled back as he squeezed Makoto's hand. He could tell Makoto was thinking the same thing: their daughter was alive and well. Sousuke rubbed his thumb across the back of Makoto's hand. He could already tell that Shiori is just fine. The elevator let out a ding indicating that they were at their destination. The doors opened and the couple walked down the hall to their daughter's room. When they got to the room, there was a doctor waiting outside of their daughter's room. The doctor spotted them and gave them a warm smile.

"You must be Shiori's parents."

"Yes, we are. Is our daughter alright?" Makoto answered. The doctor licked her lips and looked at her chart.

"I can't lie to you, your daughter was in pretty bad shape when she got here. She had multiple bruises, cuts, some internal bleeding, and some laceration marks suggesting whoever had your daughter tied her up."

"Did you find any signs of. . .?"

"Thankfully, no. Whoever had your daughter these last five months was a twisted bastard but they weren't that sick. Now, wherever your daughter was being held, she wasn't being fed a proper diet. We pumped her stomach and we found some dead bugs and some spoiled food. We also checked your daughter for any kind of infections or viruses and we saw that she has pneumonia and we saw that she was bitten by a rat and because of this she has Rat-Bite Fever. She was involuntarily vomiting of her own accord when we had her in the emergency room, she had a fever, and a rash on her right hand. We don't know if she has the headache or muscle and joint pains yet but we assume she does and we're treating her for it."

"How do you treat Rat-Bite Fever?"

"With antibiotics. We've been giving your daughter shots of penicillin because it is one of the most effective antibiotics that can get rid of RBF."

"Is uh... did the pneumonia come from the RBF?" Sousuke asked.

"One of the causes of pneumonia is viruses so I wouldn't be surprised if the pneumonia happened because of her not being treated within days of being bitten by the rat. Other than that, your daughter's a lucky little girl. If the good Samaritan who brought her in waited any longer, she'd be dead."

"Do you know the person who brought our daughter in?" Makoto asked with a hopeful look in his eyes. He wanted to thank the person who found Shiori and brought her to safety.

"Unfortunately, no. Your daughter's savior left while we had her in the O.R. so for now they remain anonymous."

"Can we see her?"

"Of course, but I must tell you this, in addition to the heart monitor and IV, your daughter is connected to a life support machine and she has a feeding tube."

"Why?" Sousuke and Makoto asked at the same time.

"Like I said earlier, your daughter was in bad shape when she arrived. When we were with your daughter in the operating room, she stopped breathing and the heart monitor we had her hooked up to was flat lining so we had to put her on life support to keep her going. As for the feeding tube. . . when she arrived, she was under the usual weight for a five-year-old. We gave it to her in the hopes that she'd gain weight. She's still unconscious so she won't respond to you yet, but we estimate that she'll wake up within the next week or two."

"Thank you, thank you so much."

The doctor smiled. "You're welcome."

Sousuke and Makoto went into Shiori's room and stared at her. Shiori was lying in the bed hooked up to life support, a heart monitor, an IV, and a feeding tube in her stomach. She was unconscious and yet, in her sleep, she looked like a little angel. Makoto and Sousuke walked to her bedside and stared at her. She was so peaceful. It was almost hard to forget that she hadn't been in the best environment these last five months. Makoto gently took her hand in his and held it. Tears slowly slid down his eyes as he watched Shiori. It hurt him knowing that someone hurt his daughter and fed her bugs and spoiled food. It made him sick knowing that there was some crazy bastard that did these things to his daughter and that bastard was still out there somewhere. Makoto pressed a gentle kiss to her hand and rubbed it.

"You know, I've always dreamt of the day our family would be reunited again. I thought it would be under better circumstances than this. I never thought I'd see her in the hospital for injuries as bad as this. It's been one of my worst fears since the day I found out I was going to be a mother, you know? To see my baby in pain, silently suffering. Knowing that she's been badly hurt and that I couldn't protect her." Sousuke put his hand on Makoto's shoulder and squeezed it in comfort.

"We'll find the person who did this to Shiori and when we do, we'll put them in prison. They'll never see the light of day again."

"Sousuke, if they are ever found and arrested, what will the charges be?"

"Kidnapping for one and from what the doctor said, several counts of cruelty to a child, attempted murder, and whatever else the D.A. is gonna try working in from Shiori's statement."

"Who would she give her statement to? The detectives involved in her case were fired for acting unprofessional, weren't they?"

"New detectives will probably be assigned to the case so whoever gets the case next will talk to her. I'll try to see if I can be in the room with her while they're talking to her. It might make her feel less scared to have me in the room with her." Makoto nodded and continued to hold Shiori's hand. Lifting his hand up, he gently aid it across Shiori's forehead and felt her temperature. She was burning up.

"She's got a fever."

"Because of the Rat-Bite Fever."

"Shiori was four the last time she had a fever. I was getting ready for work and I heard her coughing; she sounded terrible. I checked on her and she told me that her throat hurt, her nose felt stuffy, and her head felt like it was pounding. I checked her temperature and said, "Baby, you're burning up. Mama's gonna take a day off and take care of you." I called off and gave her some cough medicine. The whole day she refused to let me leave her side. At one point, she was hungry so I took her downstairs with me, wrapped in a blanket. I made her food and as she ate she asked me if I'd always be there to protect her. I said I'd always be there and for this to happen. . . I didn't protect her, Sousuke. I failed my job as a parent and, worst of all, I failed her."

"You didn't fail her."

"We heard Ken barking and shoved it off as nothing. If you don't want the burden of a heavy heart, that's your prerogative, but I know when I've failed."

Makoto felt like a failure as a mother. Ever since he saw that empty room for the first time, he's done nothing but blame himself. With the guilt he felt for not doing anything to prevent his daughter from being kidnapped, he can't shake those feelings. It wouldn't surprise him if Shiori blamed him for this when she woke up. Sousuke wanted to press on this issue more, as it was plainly obvious Makoto was ruminating. Thinking of the what-ifs, the could-haves, the should-haves, the would-haves. Thinking about how he could have changed the situation and everything that's happened since. Instead of fighting with Makoto, he kissed Makoto's temple and held his hand.

"At least she's safe and sound." Sousuke whispered. Makoto nodded. At least Shiori was safe now. She wasn't in harm's way anymore. All there was to do now was wait for her to wake up which, hopefully, happens soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter felt like it went a little bit too quick, I might come back in the near future and try making it longer. Shiori was found! Now the question that remains is when will she wake up? I hope you enjoyed this!


	19. Decisions, Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some important decisions are made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I know I've been fucking you guys around for a couple chapters now but I promise, things are getting better! And if anyone subscribed to this story got like two emails saying that I posted this chapter, please disregard the first one. I actually meant to press edit but I guess I accidentally posted the chapter before it was ready to be posted. So anyways, enjoy the (finished) chapter!

It had been two months since Shiori had been admitted to the hospital and she hadn't woken up from her coma. With each day Makoto and Sousuke visited her in the hospital, they expected her to wake up, but, she still had yet to awaken. The doctor ran some brain scans on her and said that Shiori did receive head trauma so her brain activity was scant. Everyday the doctor took her off the life support machine to see if she can breathe on her own yet and with every attempt, Shiori had begun to flat line and they immediately put her back on it, not wanting to run the risk of killing her by accident. Makoto and Sousuke prayed every day for their daughter to wake up and get better. With each day that Shiori didn't wake up, the couple felt as if their prayers were purposely being ignored.

One day, Makoto and Sousuke were visiting Shiori again. She wasn't awake so they just sat there, telling her stories that she couldn't hear, singing to her, and telling her of the things they were planning to do when she finally got out of the hospital. Just another normal day. Or so it seemed. Sousuke was reading from one of the children's books the hospital kept for the younger patients. Makoto had his head laid on Sousuke's chest, listening to his boyfriend's voice as it told the story and acted out the character's voices. It was a soothing sound and it made Makoto a little sleepy. A small yawn left Makoto's lips as he closed his eyes and cuddled into Sousuke's chest. Sousuke noticed Makoto's actions and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"Tired, baby?"

"A little. Your voice is really soothing."

Sousuke smiled. "It is? No wonder Shiori falls asleep so easily when I tell her stories."

"Do you think Shiori will ever wake up from this? It's been two months and she still hasn't woken up."

"These things take time, Makoto. We have to be patient."

Makoto frowned and looked at Shiori. She had been here for two months and it seems like forever. Makoto was beginning to doubt that she'd ever wake up. He'd heard rumors swirling around that they were thinking of taking Shiori off the machine. He tried his best to block out the rumors and continued to pray for his daughter's recovery but with each day he came and saw that she was asleep, he felt as if his hopes were being washed away by an ever-growing despair as big as the ocean. Makoto wiped some of Shiori's hair out of her face and placed his hand on her forehead. Her fever had gone down from the antibiotics but the doctor said that when she awoke, Shiori would probably still have to deal with the pneumonia. Makoto took Shiori's hand into his and held it. No parent should ever have to see their child in this kind of setting. It was difficult knowing that Shiori was hurt and he wasn't there to protect her. Sousuke wrapped an arm around Makoto's shoulders and rubbed his arm comfortingly.

"Don't listen to those rumors, she'll wake up."

Makoto could only nod. He didn't know how to respond to that. Don't get him wrong, he still had high hopes that Shiori would wake up. He wanted to see Shiori recover more than anything in the world and he wanted her to live a full life but, with how things were looking right now, it might not happen. Makoto hated to think that his daughter may never recover. He dreaded that wretched possibility. He rubbed Shiori's hand with his thumb and heavily sighed. He felt like crying but he had to stay strong for his baby. The door to the room opened and in came the doctor that had been treating Shiori for the past two months. She had a deep frown on her face and she looked as if she'd been thinking deeply about something. When she noticed Sousuke and Makoto in the room, she tried to give them her best smile.

"I didn't think anyone would be in here."

"We always show up after Sousuke gets off from work. Is there something wrong in Shiori's condition?"

The doctor sighed and licked her lips. "As you know, your daughter has been here for two months and she's been on life support this entire time. We've tried to take her off to see if she can breathe on her own and she's flat lined every time. I talked to my supervisor and he said that based on your daughter's brain activity and our attempts to disconnect her from life support, we have to start thinking of the possibility that her condition may not improve."

"What does that mean?" Sousuke asked, fearing the absolute worst for his daughter.

"It means that if your daughter's condition doesn't improve, do you want us to pull the plug?"

Makoto gasped and felt tears prick up in his eyes. He felt as if his world was ending again. He just got his daughter back and now he's facing the possibility of losing her again, officially forever! He hyperventilated and began to cry. No. . . this can't be happening! Sousuke took Makoto into his arms and held him as they both cried. They just got her back. The doctor watched the young couple and fought her urge to cry. There were times where she hated this job. She cleared her throat and got the parents' attention.

"Yamazaki-san, Tachibana-san, I'm gonna need an answer." The couple looked at each other. They both had the same look in their eyes, as if they knew the answer. Sousuke intertwined his hand with Makoto's and they both looked at the doctor and opened their mouths at the same time.

"Don't pull the plug." "Pull the plug." Makoto and Sousuke's eyes widened and they looked at each other in surprise, neither believing what came out of the other's mouth. The doctor looked between the two and gulped. This was a common problem among family members. Pull the plug or don't pull the plug. The tension in the room was so thick that it would have to be cut with the sharpest knife in the room.

"You two can talk this over tonight. I won't need your answer until tomorrow." She stated, trying to dissolve the tension. Sousuke and Makoto looked at each other with a fire in their eyes. They were going to argue about this and it was going to be an ugly fight.

"I think it's best we cut this visit short. We're gonna have a long talk." Makoto whispered as he stood up.

Makoto pressed a light kiss to Shiori's forehead before he left. Sousuke followed him out the room and two the elevator. The ride was silent. Neither of them knew what to say each other, frankly because they were mad at what the other said. One wanted to pull the plug, the other didn't. If Shiori stayed on the machine, her chances of recovery are doubled. If they pulled the plug, they were basically killing her before she had a chance to recover. Neither Makoto nor Sousuke wanted Shiori to die. They wanted her to live and experience the things life has to offer. The two stood on opposite corners of the elevator, staring at the doors. Neither of them could stand to look at the other at the moment.

When the elevator made it to ground level, the two went to their car and drove home. The ride home was as silent as the elevator ride, save for the tires rolling on the road and the low hum of the engine. Makoto was staring out the window with his jaw clenched tight in anger as he tried to keep the tears in his eyes from flowing out. He didn't need Sousuke seeing him cry, especially not now when he was really fucking pissed at him. When they finally made it home, Makoto got out of the car and went into the house with Sousuke following him. He got Ken's leash off the hanger in the kitchen and went to get the dog, but Sousuke stopped him before he could leave.

"Aren't we going to talk about what you said in the hospital?"

"Not right now. Ken needs some fresh air so I'm taking him for a walk." Makoto tried to push past Sousuke but his wrist was grabbed.

"You can't just walk away from this, Makoto! We have to talk about this and make a decision!"

"Let me go, Sousuke! I need to get my head straight and calm down before I lash out and say something I don't mean. Ken! We're going for a walk!" Makoto growled then called the dog.

Ken came running down the stairs and in front of Makoto. The brunette got out of Sousuke's grasp and put the leash on the dog. Makoto led Ken to the door and put his shoes back on then left the house, slamming the door. Sousuke sighed and went to the liquor cabinet to get a bottle of whiskey. Sousuke hardly ever drank and when he did it was when he was at a party and he didn't get stuck as the designated driver, it was a special occasion, or something happened and he really needed it and after what just happened with Makoto in the hospital, he desperately needed a drink. He sat down at the table and took a swig from the bottle. The liquid burned going down his throat and he coughed a little, not entirely used to the feeling since he wasn't used to drinking alcohol.

Sousuke felt as if his family was tearing apart. Shiori was in the hospital, possibly near death, and Makoto was pissed at him for what he said in the hospital. He didn't want Makoto to break up with him over this. It wasn't his fault for thinking about what would be best for their daughter! He shook his head and took another swig. This was so fucked up, it wasn't funny. He had a wonderful family and everyone was happy. Now everyone was miserable and his family was torn apart. He took another swig of whiskey, this time longer. Sousuke hoped that whatever was keeping Shiori from waking up, she could bypass it. A miracle needed to happen and soon.

* * *

~

* * *

Shiori aimlessly wandered around in darkness. She'd been walking around this seemingly endless black void for the longest time. She didn't even know how long she'd been here. Shiori didn't know what she was walking towards and why, all she knew was she had to keep walking until she found something. A yawn managed to escape from her mouth. She was tired and she wanted to lie down but her determination to find the thing she was looking for prevented her from doing so. Shiori kept walking until she spotted a tiny, little light. Her eyes widened as she began to run toward it. She kept running and running until she reached the light. When she reached the light it was just a little glowing ball, floating in the air. Shiori tilted her head in confusion as she reached her hands out and cupped them to hold the light.

"Is this what I've been walking around for?" Shiori asked aloud.

"You found me in the end, didn't you? It wasn't a total loss!"

Shiori's eyes widened as she looked at the little light in surprise. "Uwaaah! You talked!"

"Of course I did! How else would we make conversation?"

"I guess you make a point. Where are we? What are you? What's going on here?"

"One question at a time! We're in the plane between life and death. When a person is near death, they come here and make the choice to continue living or to die."

"Are you choosing to live or die?"

"I'm already dead but I choose to stay here to hopefully guide people to make the choice to continue to live and in between the people I help, I take some time to myself to watch over my parents and their friends to see how they're doing. As for what I am, I'm a ghost. In fact; you're a ghost, right now, too. We're gonna go on a little trip that'll convince you to return to the land of the living. Any other questions?"

"What's your name?"

"My name is Kiyoshi!" The light said in an energetic voice. Kiyoshi. . . that name sounded vaguely familiar.

"Kiyoshi... are you Uncle RinRin and Haru-chan's baby?"

"I am, or, was, their baby. I watch over them when I can. How were they the last time you saw them? I haven't gotten a chance to watch them in a while."

"They seemed happy the last time I saw them. Uncle RinRin told me stories about his time in Australia and Haru-chan made fried mackerel."

Kiyoshi heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good. I hated seeing Mommy and Daddy in pain. Oh well, enough about me, let's get started on this journey about you!"

"By the way, my name is Shiori."

"I know, I've been waiting for you. C'mon! We've got things to see!"

In front of them, a doorway appeared. Shiori cautiously walked to it, still holding Kiyoshi in her hands. She walked through the door and everything changed around them. They left the black void and they were in a hospital room. The room itself was dim and there were a few machines in the room and, of course, the hospital bed. Shiori felt scared being in this room. It only reminded her of the time Papa was in one of these rooms. All she remembered was going to the hospital with Mama and seeing Papa in bed, asleep. She tried waking him up but he didn't respond. Mama had to explain that it'd take a while for him to wake up and explaining what vacation was which Shiori now knows as death. She remembered feeling afraid that Papa would die and curling up to his side every time they visited. She stayed where she was and didn't dare move an inch closer to the bed, afraid of who might be in it.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"This room. . . Papa was in one of these before and he was asleep for a while. Mama was sad when he was here and he cried every day Papa was asleep. Why are we here anyways?" Shiori felt her heart start to pound in fear as she kept thinking of her father lying in that hospital bed. He was hooked up to a bunch of things and he wouldn't wake up no matter how many times she shook him or begged for him to wake up. During that time, she was scared that she'd never see him again.

"There's something in this room you need to see before we can continue. You have to see who is in the bed."

"Who's in the bed?"

"Walk up to it and see."

Shiori was still apprehensive about walking up to the bed. She was scared of who could be lying there. For all she knew, Papa was in the hospital again or maybe it was Mama or Haru-chan or Uncle RinRin. She wouldn't know until she saw it, though. She took a deep breath and began to move towards the bed. Mama always told her that when she was afraid, she should always try her best to be brave. She made baby steps toward the bed and felt her heart beating faster with each step. When she finally made it to the bed, she got up on the bed and her eyes widened in shock when she saw the bed's occupant. It was her, except she was asleep and steadily breathing with the machine she was hooked up to. Shiori began to feel confused. How could she be there and here on the bed at the same time?

"Are you confused?"

"What is this, Kiyoshi? How am I there but I'm right here?"

"It's like I said earlier, you're a ghost just like I am. This is your physical body. Right now, you're asleep like your father was."

"How long have I been here?"

"Two months. You're near death because the doctors are considering letting you die and because it's your last chance to choose life."

"Will I ever wake up?"

"That depends on you. Do you wanna wake up?"

"I don't know. I'll be in pain when I wake up and I don't wanna be in pain. Besides, I don't wanna make Mama and Papa worry about me when I wake up."

"I thought you'd say that. This was only a little side stop. Our main stop is somewhere else."

Another doorway made of light appeared and Shiori turned towards it. She got off the bed with Kiyoshi and slowly walked to the light. They walked through the light and once again, everything changed around them. This time, there weren't in a hospital. They were in a room that Shiori recognized. It was the living room of her home. She smiled as she looked around. She was home. She was finally home after what seemed like an eternity of torture. Shiori walked out of the living room and into the kitchen where she saw her father sitting at the table and drinking a bottle of what looked like apple juice. She shook her head. That didn't matter. She was home and she could put everything behind her.

"Papa!" She called out. Papa didn't respond to her. He just kept sitting there, holding the bottle in his hands and blankly staring at the wall. Shiori frowned. Papa would never ignore her on purpose. She decided to try again. "Papa! I'm right here! Hey!"

"He can't hear you." Kiyoshi explained, "No can see you or hear you in your current state."

"So I can scream and no one'd hear me?"

"Exactly."

"That sucks. How are you used to this?"

"I learned to get used to it when I was watching over Mommy and Daddy after I died. I screamed at them that I was fine and they didn't have to be sad for me but they didn't hear me. It hurt but I've gotten used to it." Shiori frowned and felt sorry for Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi constantly watches Haru-chan and Uncle RinRin and can't do a thing to get them to stop being sad over their death. It must suck being a ghost. Can't do anything for the people you love but watch them as they live their lives. The door opened and Shiori looked over to the door to see her mother walking through it with Ken. Mama unhooked Ken from the leash and hung it back up. He walked into the kitchen and rolled his eyes when he saw Papa sitting at the table.

"You didn't tell me you drank." He bluntly stated. Papa looked at him and took a swig from the bottle.

"It's rare when I do. How was your walk with Ken?"

"Good. Ken seemed to enjoy himself a lot, it was kind of hard to get him to come home with me." Papa stood up from the table and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Let's stop tiptoeing around the subject and start talking about what you said."

"What _I_ said? What about you?!" Mama blew up in anger. "Why do you want to keep Shiori on that machine?!" Shiori frowned at her mother. Mama wanted to take her off the machine? Why?

"Did you not hear the doctor say possibility? Shiori could recover from this!"

"In order to recover, she has to wake up first and based on her brain activity and their attempts to get Shiori to breathe on her own without that machine, that may not happen so, again, why do you want to keep her on that machine?"

"Why do you want to take her off the machine?! You're acting as if it's already too late for her and that she's beyond any sort of help!"

"Do you know how much it hurts seeing her hooked up to those machines?! No parent should ever have to see their baby like that, in silent pain and suffering. I don't want her to hurt anymore which is why I think it's better we take her off the machine. I don't want her to hurt, Sousuke. The last thing I want is to see our baby girl in pain. If this is the only way I can relieve her of all the pain she felt while she was who-knows-where, then so be it. Why do you want to keep her on the machine?" Papa burst out crying and sat down at the table. Shiori wanted to reach out to her father, hug him, and tell him that he doesn't have to be sad for her but she couldn't. All she could do was stand there with Kiyoshi and watch her father as he cried.

"I don't wanna lose her." Papa cried, "We just got her back and I don't want to lose her." Mama hugged Papa from behind and cried with him.

"I don't wanna lose her either but if we love her we have to let her go. We have to let our baby go."

As they sat there and cried with each other, Shiori felt her eyes watering and left the kitchen and went into the living room with Kiyoshi. She sat on the couch and cried. She didn't want to die and she didn't want to watch Mama and Papa be sad over her death. Her parents agreed to let her die and she felt as if her heart broke. If she dies, she'd turn into a ghost like Kiyoshi and have to watch her parents be in pain. She didn't want to do that. She couldn't bear to watch her parents and not be able to talk to them. Kiyoshi floated out of Shiori's hands and floated to her shoulder as a means of comforting her.

"Are you sad, Shiori?"

"I don't wanna die!" The girl cried, "I don't wanna be a ghost and watch Mama and Papa be sad!"

"So are you choosing life?"

"Yes. I wanna live. What do I have to do?"

"We're gonna go back to the hospital and you're gonna get back in your body." Shiori nodded and got off the couch when another door of light appeared. Shiori and Kiyoshi went through it and they were once again in Shiori's hospital room. Shiori got up on her bed and stared at herself. This was it. All she had to do was get back in her body. She was a little hesitant to do so. She didn't wanna leave Kiyoshi alone in tat big black void but she didn't want Mama and Papa to be sad like Haru-chan and Uncle RinRin were when Kiyoshi died.

"What's wrong, Shiori?" Kiyoshi asked in confusion.

"If I go back, will I remember you?"

"Maybe, I don't know. Most people I help don't remember me when they come back to the living. Hey, Shiori, can you promise me something?"

"What is it?"

"If you remember this, the next time you see Mommy and Daddy, could you tell them that it's fine if they wanna have another baby? They're thinking about having another baby but they feel as if they're trying to replace me or forget about me. I wanna see them be happy and they're ready to be parents."

"Of course. Will you always watch over us?"

Kiyoshi laughed. "I've been doing that for the last eight months. Now get back in your body and live your life, don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Shiori nodded and adjusted herself to get back in her body. She laid back in the bed and slowly dissolved back into her body. Kiyoshi disappeared in a big flash of light and the room was as empty and silent as ever.

* * *

 ~

* * *

Makoto was in a funeral home, walking down the aisle to see the person lying in the coffin. Sousuke was beside him, holding him by the waist. He looked around to see his family and friends dressed in black ad in mourning. Whomever was in the coffin, they must have really been sad to know that person dead. It must be one of his aunt or uncles or maybe his reckless cousin who just can't seem to stay out of prison. Probably got shanked in the shower by an inmate during a riot or finally snapped and hung himself in his cell.

The line kept getting shorter and shorter until they finally got to the coffin. Makoto slowly walked up to it and felt tears coming to his eyes when he saw the coffin's occupant. It was Shiori. She was lying in the coffin, dressed in white and her body was surrounded by many cinquefoils and cypresses. Makoto covered his mouth and almost fell over when he saw his baby girl in that coffin. This wasn't right! She's not supposed to be here! He cried as he fell into Sousuke's arms and was guided to a seat in the front row.

The couple sat in the front row and listened as the funeral started. There were no dry eyes in the building as the funeral started. Makoto wasn't even listening to him. He was too focused on the fact that he was attending his daughter's funeral. This isn't right. The laws of nature don't allow for parents to bury their children this early. Makoto couldn't stop his crying. He stayed in Sousuke's arms during the priest's sermon. He needed Sousuke to comfort him right now. After the priest's sermon, he said something that never happens at funerals.

"And now, we'll hear a few words from the deceased." Makoto tilted his head in confusion and watched in horror as Shiori slowly rose out of her coffin. She had her back to him but she turned her head around and looked him dead in the eyes. Her eyes were hollow, void of any and all emotion and as cold as ice. Makoto had the urge to get up and hug her but something was holding him back from doing so. Fear, perhaps? Shiori glared at him and curled her hands into fists.

"Mama, why didn't you protect me? You said you'd always protect me. What happened?"

Makoto gasped as a few tears fell. "I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so, so sorry. If I'd known what was going to happen, I would have protected you."

"Then why didn't you? Why didn't you come into my room when Ken was barking?" Shiori asked, her voice rising with every word.

"I didn't know! I thought Ken was randomly barking like he always does!"

"Mama, why do you wanna take me off life support?"

"I was thinking of your best interest, Shiori! It hurt seeing you hooked up to those machines and it hurt knowing that I didn't protect you!"

"You failed me, Mama. I'm dead because you failed to protect me and you gave up on me before I had a chance to get better. You're a terrible mother and if you Papa have any other children, I'll be surprised if they manage to make it passed the age of five with _you_ as a mother." Shiori coldly replied, her words piercing through Makoto's heart like a sword.

"Shi-chan, please! I'm sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't change all of the horrible things that happened to me while I was gone. I hope you can live with yourself." The room around him dissolved and he was in a black void, in the middle of a circle made out of a bunch of copies of Shiori. They were all looking at him, silently judging him. None of them said anything, they just stared at him. Makoto began to hyperventilate and felt his heart beating faster than usual.

"I'm sorry!" Makoto sobbed hysterically, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I didn't protect you, Shiori! I'm sorry! I'm sorry. . ."

* * *

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"Makoto! Makoto, wake up!" A voice called.

Makoto jumped up, panting and drenched in sweat. He looked around and saw that he was in his home. Daylight was breaking and shining through the window and showing itself in the bedroom. His heart was still pounding heavily and his breathing was still rapid and fast. The nightmare was still fresh in Makoto's mind and he began to cry. Makoto let the tears he held in his eyes fall like running water. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around him and a warm, clothed chest was pressed against his back. Makoto turned himself around to where he was facing his boyfriend. Sousuke rubbed his back and rocked him back and forth like a child.

"Baby, it's ok. Stop crying."

"It's my fault!" Makoto cried.

"What's your fault?"

"What happened to Shiori! It's all my fault! If I was smart about reporting that goddamned van or seeing what Ken was barking about, she'd still be here safe and sound!" Sousuke sighed and kissed Makoto's head.

"There's as much blame on my end as there is on yours. Don't bear the burden all by yourself."

"How can I when I feel so much guilt in my heart?" Makoto sobbed.

Sousuke opened his mouth and then closed it. He didn't have an answer for Makoto. He just kept holding Makoto close as he cried his eyes out. They stayed like that for an hour until Makoto finally calmed down. They sat in the silence of their room, just enjoying each other's company. Makoto had his head buried in the crook of Sousuke's neck as his lover held him tight, not having any intention of letting him go. Makoto kissed the flesh between Sousuke's neck and shoulder. Sousuke put his hand on the back of Makoto's head like he was holding a baby and continued to slowly rock his boyfriend back and forth.

"Sousuke, will you ever let me go?"

"Never. Even if I'm ever tempted, I'll never let you go."

"Will you leave me?"

"I could never leave you, even if I wanted to."

"Will you always love me?"

"Forever and ever. We have to go to the hospital in a couple of hours and give the doctor our answer. Shiori's time is coming soon and we have to take advantage of the time we have left." Makoto frowned.

The downside to puling the plug on Shiori was knowing that she'd die. Sure, he didn't want her to suffer but then he'd have to plan a funeral. He got up from the bed and went to the bathroom. He started the bath and set it to hot. As he waited for the tub to fill up, he undressed. He slightly hissed at the cold air that caressed his naked body. Once the tub was filled up, he turned the faucet off and put in some vanilla scented bubble bath. He mixed the bubble bath with the water and watched as the bubbles formed. Once the bubbles formed he stepped in, slowly sliding down in the hot water. He smiled and closed his eyes as he relaxed in the water. The bright side to being unemployed was getting to enjoy a nice, hot bath in the morning. Footsteps approached the tub and he felt a hand caress his cheek. He turned his head to look at Sousuke and warmed into his touch.

"What was your nightmare about?" Sousuke whispered. Makoto paled in fear as he remembered the nightmare. All he could think about was Shiori lying in that coffin. He sat up in the tub and brought his knees up to his chest and pressed his lips together.

"We were in a funeral home. It was Shiori's funeral and she was dressed in white, lying in her coffin surrounded by cinquefoils and cypresses. I couldn't keep my composure when I saw her and you had to guide me to a seat. The funeral went on and then Shiori sat up in her coffin and turned to me. Her eyes were cold, dead, hollow, void of any emotion. She said everything I've thought of myself this whole time and then everything dissolved around me and suddenly I was in the middle of a circle of other copies of Shiori. They were all standing there, silently judging me. I remember crying hysterically until you woke me up. It was horrible." Sousuke hugged Makoto as he begun to tremble, remembering the nightmare.

"It's ok. It was just a nightmare."

"Sousuke, why are you so good to me?"

"Because I love you. Stay here and wash up while I go make you breakfast." Sousuke moved to leave but Makoto grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Stay here and take a bath with me. We can eat later." Sousuke gave into Makoto's demand as he stripped himself of his clothes. He got in the tub behind Makoto and sat back. Makoto laid back and cuddled himself into Sousuke's chest. Sousuke instinctively wrapped his arms around Makoto and held him. "Let's stay here for a little while."

"Are we gonna actually bathe or did you just want me to hold you?"

"Hold me, Sousuke. Just for a little while."

"Fine, but the moment my fingers start to prune, we're getting out of here and getting ready to leave. Deal?"

"Deal." Makoto agreed as he began to draw circles on Sousuke's chest.

The two sat in the bath for an hour in complete silence, save for the sounds of water moving and the occasional content sigh coming from each of them. Makoto absent-mindedly ran his fingers up and down Sousuke's chest whilst Sousuke ran his fingers through Makoto's hair. Sousuke looked at his hand and saw that his thumb was starting to prune. He gently rubbed Makoto's back and woke him up since he'd zoned out. Makoto stopped what he was doing and got out of the tub with Sousuke. The two dried themselves off then went into the bedroom to get some clothes on. After they got dressed, they left their bedroom to go to their car but on the way out, Makoto went into Shiori's room and grabbed Kuma-kun from off the bed. Sousuke looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Makoto gave him a small smile.

"If Shiori's final hour is coming up, I want to make sure she has a friend with her." Sousuke wrapped an arm around Makoto and guided him downstairs. They put their shoes on and walked out the door and to Sousuke's car. They got in and Sousuke started the car and drove off to the hospital.

On the way to the hospital, Makoto was trying to justify his decision to himself. The only upside was that Shiori wouldn't be in pain anymore. The downside was that after they pulled the plug, he and Sousuke would have to plan a funeral. He hugged Kuma-kun close to his chest. When eh found out he was going to have Shiori, Makoto knew that he would have to make some tough decisions but this was the toughest decision he ever had to make. He was sure that his family and friends would understand his decision when he told them. It would be hard at first, sure, but time has a way of mending wounds. They made it to the hospital and the couple got out of the car and walked inside. They checked in and took the elevator up to the floor their daughter was on.

In the elevator, it was silent. Makoto and Sousuke stood next to each other. Sousuke's arm was wrapped around Makoto's waist and Makoto had his head laid on Sousuke's shoulder with a deep frown on his face. Sousuke caught the look on Makoto's face a frowned. He knew that the decision to take Shiori off life support was going to be a hard one on both of them, but it seems that Makoto's taking it harder than he is. Sousuke kissed Makoto's forehead and held him closer.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm changing my mind, Sousuke. I don't wanna pull the plug on her." Makoto looked at him, his emerald orbs showing the utmost seriousness, "I won't be able to live with myself if we just cut the lifeline right there before Shiori has another chance. I know that the way things are looking now, she may not recover, but, miracles happen."

"You seemed pretty adamant on pulling the plug last night."

"I know but then I thought of Rin and Haru. They had no control over what happened to Kiyoshi. You and I have control over whether or not to pull the plug on our daughter and if we choose to pull it, I feel as though we're wasting a precious gift. Everyone has something to offer this world and Shiori has yet to find out what her talent is and share it with the world."

"So are we keeping her on life support?"

"We are." The elevator door opened and the couple walked out. They walked to their daughter's room and were greeted with the same sight of her sleeping and hooked up to various things. Makoto walked to her bedside and put Kuma-kun next to her.

"Hey, Shi-chan. Papa and I thought that you'd be lonely in here so we brought Kuma-kun to keep you company. You probably heard that some doctors are going to pull the plug on you. Papa and I aren't going to let them do it to you, sweetheart. I promise." Makoto said softly.

Sousuke took a book from the stack they put in Shiori's room. He managed to pull out Cinderella from the pile. He shrugged. He still hadn't read this to her. Sousuke sat down in the chair by Shiori's bed and opened the book. Before he could start reading it, the door opened and Shiori's doctor appeared. She looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep the previous night, no doubt stressing out over the possibility of pulling the plug on a child who hadn't forgotten to live her life yet. Anyone would get stressed out over that. When she saw Sousuke and Makoto, she bowed.

"Tachibana-san, Yamazaki-san, have you reached an answer?"

Makoto nodded. "Sousuke and I decided not to pull the plug. We still have hope that a miracle will happen for Shiori." The doctor let out a sigh of relief and put her hand over her heart.

"Good, that makes my job a little easier on me. If you don't mind, I'd like to see if your daughter can breathe on her own again." Sousuke and Makoto nodded as they got out of the doctor's way.

The doctor walked up to Shiori's bedside and took a deep breath. She hoped that this was the last time she'd have to do this. Gently, she grabbed the tub that was connected to the lift support machine and removed it. At first, Shiori's heartbeat sped up a little and then slowed down to normal. Her chest rose and fell with each breath that was taken. The doctor looked at the heart monitor and saw that her vitals were still normal. She smiled and looked at the child. Finally. After two months, she was breathing on her own. She turned to the girl's parents who were taken aback by what had happened. They did want a miracle but they didn't think it'd happen this soon!

"Shiori can breathe on her own it's a miracle in itself, but, now we just have to wait for your daughter to wake up."

"When do you think that'll happen?"

"I don't know. It could be an hour or two before your daughter wakes up." There was a beeping noise and the doctor checked her pager. "Duty calls. I'll be back as soon as I can." She said hurriedly as she left the room.

Makoto felt like crying for joy. His baby was breathing on her own. He looked at Sousuke and saw that his eyes were glassy with tears. The couple hugged each other. They were both happy. Shiori was slowly but steadily improving. They could be happy now because Shiori isn't on life support anymore, but like the doctor said it could take a while for Shiori to wake up. Sousuke sat down in the chair beside his daughter's bed and Makoto sat next to him and listened as Sousuke began to read Cinderella to their daughter. As Sousuke read the story, Shiori's fingers began to twitch. Makoto noticed it and lightly hit Sousuke's arm to get him to stop. Sousuke stopped and looked at Makoto with a puzzled look on his face.

"What is it?"

"Shiori's fingers are twitching. Look."

Sousuke looked at his daughter's fingers and saw that they were twitching. He closed the book and watched Shiori to see if she'd wake up. Soon, Shiori's hand stopped twitching and little coughs were sounding from her. Makoto covered his mouth with his hand and let out a muffled sob. He could feel it in his heart that Shiori was waking up. Sousuke put the book down and intertwined his hand with Makoto's free one. After some minutes of coughing, Shiori's eyes slowly fluttered open.

Green eyes scanned the room. This wasn't the basement anymore and she wasn't in a cage! Shiori turned her head to the side to see her parents. Her eyes widened and her eyes welled up with tears. Was this real? She lifted her hand and reached out to touch her mother's face. When she felt flesh, Shiori began to weep. She was back. She was out of the basement and back in Iwatobi where she belonged. Makoto began to cry with her and he hugged her tight. Finally. Shiori was back in his arms after seven months. Sousuke hugged his boyfriend and daughter, overjoyed at the fact that his little girl was alright. Soon, they let go of each other and sat there, enjoying each other's company.

"Did you miss me, Mama?"

"Of course I did, Shi-chan. I missed you, Papa missed you, Ken missed you, everyone missed you."

"How are you feeling?" Sousuke asked.

Shiori shrugged and coughed a little. "I'm ok, I guess. When can I go home?" Sousuke and Makoto looked at each other then back to their daughter.

"We don't know, sweetheart. It's up to your doctor. We'll see what she says, but you shouldn't have to wait too long." Makoto tried to explain. For all he knew, Shiori was going to be here for observation for a week.

"Ok. Papa, can you read me a story?"

"Sure. How about Cinderella?"

"Hai!" Shiori said in her usual energetic tone. Sousuke smiled and took out Cinderella and read it from the beginning, keeping in mind that Shiori wasn't awake to hear the beginning of the story. As he read the story, he couldn't keep the smile off of his face. Shiori held Kuma-kun close as she lost herself in the story. It started to feel like old times. Shiori was in bed, holding Kuma-kun while her father read her a story. After the story, the visit carried on like normal. More stories were told and more plans were made like after Shiori gets out, they'd take her to the aquarium to see Saki again. Somewhere in the middle of things, Shiori's doctor came back into the room and smiled when she saw that Shiori was awake.

"Hey! You're awake!" She beamed. Shiori slowly nodded and looked at her parents.

"This is the doctor that's been taking care of you, Shiori."

"I'm just here to check up on how Shiori's doing. Here, let me adjust the bed." The doctor said as she adjusted the bed to the point where Shiori was sitting up. The doctor took out her stethoscope and checked Shiori's heartbeat and her lungs. Her heartbeat sounded good but in her lungs, she heard some wheezing and some crackling. She half-expected to hear that. She took off the stethoscope and put it around her neck.

"Ok, heartbeat sounds good, it's just her lungs. I'm hearing some wheezing and there's a little crackling noise. I'll prescribe an inhaler with albuterol and give it to you when I release Shiori."

"How long will she be on the inhaler?" Makoto asked.

"Until there's no wheezing or crackling noise in her lungs. It's a temporary thing, it won't stick for life."

"When will Shiori be released?" Sousuke asked.

"I want to keep her here for observation and make sure that everything's in order so I'm looking to release her in a week." Her pager beeped again and she groaned a little. "I swear, everyone needs me today. I'll check up on Shiori again when I'm done with this patient and I'll take the feeding tube out. You two should get ready to go home soon, visiting hours are almost over." The doctor ran out of the room and Shiori frowned deeply. She didn't want to stay here. She wanted to go home! Tears started to well up in her eyes and she turned to her parents. Sousuke frowned when he saw the tears in Shiori's eyes. She hadn't been home in seven months and she wanted to go home.

"I wanna go home!" Shiori whimpered.

"Honey, the doctor wants to make sure you're healthy before you can come home. It's only for a week." Sousuke tried to soothe his daughter. Shiori only whimpered more. She didn't care about being healthy! She wanted to go home with Mama and Papa! Makoto got an idea and smiled.

"Shi-chan, can you hand me Kuma-kun?" Shiori gave her mother the teddy bear. Makoto took it and gave the stuffed animal a big hug. He gave the bear to Sousuke who hugged the bear like he did then gave it back to Shiori. The child looked at her parents with a puzzled look on her face. Makoto chuckled and pet his daughter's head. "Every time you feel lonely or scared while you're here, just hug Kuma-kun and Papa and I will be there hugging you so you don't feel that way."

"Really?"

"Yes. Do you think you can be a big girl and tough it out for a week?" Shiori nodded and Makoto kissed her cheek. "Good girl. Papa and I will come back tomorrow and we'll read more stories and play a board game or two." Shiori smiled and kissed her mother's cheek. Sousuke gave Shiori a hug and kissed her forehead. "Be good, Shiori."

Shiori nodded and waved her parents goodbye as they left the room. Once the door closed, she looked around and began to feel scared when she realized that she was alone. She knew there was no reason to feel this way; neither Kisumi nor Seijuurou were here to hurt her. She was in safe hands. Shiori hugged Kuma-kun and felt as if Mama and Papa were right there, hugging her. A smile came to her face as she buried her nose in Kuma-kun's fur, pretending it was Ken when he decided that they were going to share a pillow for the night. Shiori felt like she could stay here for another week. As long as Mama and Papa kept visitng her and she had Kuma-kun to hug when she was lonely or scared, she'd be just fine. She yawned and closed her eyes. This week will pass by quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I now have a weird fixation with Sousuke's chest 'cuz I can't stop mentioning it. Momo and I woud probably be the best of friends. We would sit around and talk about chests and cleavage. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! I'm sorry if it feels like I had Shiori waking up a little bit too quickly towards the end, but I don't think you guys would have liked waiting another chapter for her to wake up. I won't be working on chapter 20 for a couple days because I've got final exams and I've gotta study like my life depends on it. Well, my life doesn't depend on it but my grades do. See you in chapter 20!


	20. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiori finally goes home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took so long! I really tried with it but it was kind of hard to write since I had no idea how to start it up and this was the best I could come up with. And please keep in mind, I'm not an expert on everything so some things are gonna be totally wrong. I did as much research as I could on what I addressed in this chapter and hopefully I got it right. With that said, enjoy! Sorry if it sucks!

After a week in the hospital, Shiori was finally being released. Shiori was excited to finally go home after a long time away. From what her parents told her, counting the two months she was in the hospital, she'd been gone for seven months. Shiori found it amazing that she was able to survive in that basement for as long as she did. She thought she'd been there for longer than that! While she was happy to go home, she had her doubts. What if she wasn't truly safe? What if she was taken from her home again? What if this was all a dream? What if she woke up and she was back in that icky basement again? Those thoughts, those nightmares that she was back in the basement, those fears, they constantly took over her thoughts and it made it hard for her to sleep at night. Every time she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep she had dreams about the basement and everything that happened to her. Shiori hoped that the nightmares would stop when she went home.

It was the day Shiori was being released from the hospital. She hadn't gone to sleep the previous night because she was both excited to go home and afraid that she'd wake up in the basement again. Though she reminded herself many times that there was nothing for her to fear anymore and that it's all over, the fear of possibly being taken back to the nightmare remained and gnawed at her mind like a vulture feasting on human remains. Shiori tried her best to block out the memories of the basement and forget what happened but the harder she tried, the harder it was to forget. The memories were forever engraved in her mind and she didn't know whether or not she'd find any peace and live her life.

Shiori stared at the door to her room and waited for it to open. Yesterday, before they left, her parents said they'd be there to pick her up around two o'clock. She rocked back and forth with Kuma-kun in her arms, waiting for her parents to walk through the door. It's all she'd been staring at since she woke up this morning. From the moment her doctor came in and took her off the heart monitor to right now. Shiori hugged Kuma-kun and smiled as she felt like Mama and Papa hugging her. She didn't feel scared or lonely, she just wanted a hug. The door to her room opened and in came her mother with a bag filled with clothes. The usual bright smile she held on her face every day appeared on her face.

"Mama!" Shiori beamed.

"Hey there, Shi-chan! Ready to go home?"

"Hai! Where's Papa?"

"He's settling some paperwork for you and getting things squared away with your doctor, he'll meet us in the car. Here, I brought you some clothes to change into." Makoto gave Shiori a bag of clothes. In the bag was a black shirt that said 'Little Angel' with white angel wings around the words, a pair of blue jeans, a pair of black boots, and a coat. Shiori went into the bathroom and changed out of her hospital gown and into her clothes. When she finished, she stood in front of Makoto, her smile never faltering as she struck a dramatic pose.

"How do I look?"

Makoto laughed. "You look like yourself. Huh?" Makoto noticed something unfamiliar in Shiori's eyes and bent down to her level for a closer look. Under her eyes, Makoto saw dark circles beginning to take shape and frowned. "Shiori, did you go to sleep last night? There are dark circles under your eyes."

"I was too excited to go to sleep." Shiori lied. She felt bad for lying to her mother but she didn't want him to worry about her. He was worried enough already, she didn't want to make him worry about her even more. Makoto shrugged and took out a mask he had in his back pocket.

"I guess I can understand that. The doctor gave me this to give to you." Shiori took the mask and looked at it.

"Why do I have to wear a mask?"

"You've got pneumonia, sweetheart. The contagious kind. If you don't want to get anyone sick, you have to put it on when you're not in the house." Shiori reluctantly put the mask on and grabbed her teddy bear and her mother's hand.

The two walked out of the room and to the elevator. During the elevator ride, Makoto began to doubt what Shiori said. He didn't want to think his daughter a liar or call her out on it but he could tell when she was hiding something from him. Something about her tone of voice when she told him that she was too excited to sleep struck him as odd. Even when she was excited, she still found it relatively easy to sleep.

Something was bothering her and Makoto wanted to find out what it was but he didn't want to overwhelm her or work her up on her first day back home. She's been through a lot already and he could not, in all good conscience, stress Shiori out in any way. When the elevator reached ground floor, they walked out of the hospital and saw Sousuke waiting outside his car. Shiori ran up to her father and Sousuke caught her and gave her a big hug.

"There's my big girl! Ready to go home?" Shiori laughed and hugged her father back.

"Hai."

Sousuke let go of her and helped Shiori into the car. Once she was settled in, he and Makoto got into the car and drove off. On the way home, there were laughs shared and funny conversation. it seemed like old times before this whole mess started. Sousuke took a moment to sneak a glance at his rear-view mirror and looked at Shiori in the backseat. He was ecstatic to see his daughter sitting in her spot. In the time she's been away from home, he missed seeing her in that spot. It was as if a great big void was created when Shiori was abducted. He and Makoto looked at each other with the same smiled plastered on each other's faces. They were both glad to have their daughter back where she belonged at long last.

After a trip to the pharmacy and a car ride filled with smiles and laughter, the car finally stopped in front of their home and Shiori couldn't help but stare at the outside. She couldn't believe that she was home after so long. While she was in that basement, she never thought she'd get to go home but here she was and she was happy. When her father stopped the car, everyone got out. Shiori stared at her home and compared it to the last time she was here. It was the same but at the same time felt new, almost as if she were looking at it for the first time again. Makoto took Shiori's hand in his and led her to the door. He took his key out his pocket and opened the door.

"Welcome home, Shi-chan!" Makoto and Sousuke beamed as they walked in the house.

Shiori carefully walked further in and looked around her house. Everything was just as she'd remembered it. Nothing changed. Shiori took off her mask and inhaled deeply, breathing in the familiar scent of home she had dearly missed, and slowly exhaled with a content smile. One whiff of the air told her that she was finally home.

Shiori walked into the living room and smiled when she saw Ken laying down on the couch. She really missed her dog. Shiori walked up to the pooch and pet his fur. It took a moment for Ken to stir awake but once he caught Shiori in his eyesight, he immediately perked up and barked with excitement as he jumped on her, licking her face since he hadn't seen his favorite human in such a long time. Shiori dropped Kuma-kun when Ken jumped on her and laughed as he licked her face. It wasn't home unless her dog was overly affectionate with her. As soon as Ken gave her a moment to breathe, Shiori sat up and gently bumped her forehead with Ken's and gave him a kiss on his nose.

"I missed you too, Ken." She whispered. Sousuke got on his knees and wiped Shiori's face off with his shirt.

"I almost forgot how much Ken loves you. Why don't you two stay in here while Mama and I start lunch?"

"Okay! Let's watch Sailor Moon, Ken!" Shiori beamed as she turned the television on and began watching her show.

Makoto and Sousuke looked at each other and laughed. It seemed as though everything was going back to normal. The couple went into the kitchen and began to prepare lunch. Makoto got the rice cooker ready while Sousuke prepared the stew. Once the rice was in the cooker, Makoto turned in on and let it cook since that's the most he could do in the kitchen, well, other than ramen. He peaked in the living room from the kitchen to see that Shiori was laying on her stomach and watching TV while Ken laid on her back. A big smile appeared on Makoto's face. It was rather comforting to finally have Shiori home, safe and sound. 

As happy as he was that Shiori was back, he couldn't help but be worried about her. The images of the dark circles remained in his mind. They'd probably been there longer, he just didn't notice them until now. Makoto dreaded to think that Shiori had trouble sleeping. He knew that she was just coming home after experiencing a trauma no one should have to go through, but, she's younger so the images could find their way our of her mind. Makoto sighed to himself. That was a foolish thought and he knew it. Whatever happened to her, she couldn't be able to forget that. He went to the kitchen and sat down. He stared at into nothing as he pressed his lips into a thin line. Sousuke turned around and gave his boyfriend a concerned look.

"Makoto, what's wrong?" Sousuke asked with the concern evident in his voice. Makoto didn't look at him. He kept staring into nothing.

"I'm worried about Shiori."

"Why?"

"When I went to pick her up from her room at the hospital, I saw dark circles beginning to form under her eyes. She told me that she was too excited to sleep last night but I think that there's something bothering her and she's not telling me."

"Maybe she feels as if she can't tell you?"

"No. I always tell Shiori that if something is bothering her, she could always tell me and I won't be mad at her. I want to ask her what's wrong but I'm afraid that I'll overwhelm her. You know what the psychologist said yesterday. We can't do or say anything that'll stress her or trigger any memories." Sousuke nodded in understanding.

Sometime after she woke up, a psychologist met with Shiori and examined her to check her psychological well-being. He said that in addition to the physical torture she endured, she also underwent some psychological torture that could potentially lead to PTSD. He said that the best they could do for Shiori at the moment was to keep treating her the way they did before this mess started, take her to a professional for an official diagnosis should any more symptoms pop up, and be careful not to trigger any flashbacks.

They took the psychologist's advice and so far haven't triggered any unpleasant memories for her, but, as always, time is a factor in everything and with Makoto being this worried that advice may go ignored soon. In becoming a parent, Sousuke had learned that worry is a constant feeling when it comes to your child. It's not an easy feeling you can get rid of. Since he found out he had a daughter, that's the only feeling he could muster every time she was out of his sight. He walked up behind Makoto and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's neck.

"Give her time. The psychologist said it could be a while before she's ready to talk about what happened. If thinking about that place is what kept her up last night then she'll tell us on her own time, okay?"

"That still won't stop me from worrying about her."

Sousuke buried his face in Makoto's hair. "I'm worried about her, too. For now, let's be happy that she's home where she belongs." Makoto nodded as he placed his hand on Sousuke's bicep and closed his eyes. At least he could be happy that Shiori was finally safe and at home. In the air, a weird smell entered his nose and he raised an eyebrow.

"Is something burning?" Sousuke lifted his head up and sniffed as his eyes widened.

"The rice!" He yelped as he let go of Makoto and took care of their burning rice. He turned the rice cooker off and unplugged it since it had begun to melt into the socket. Sousuke opened the lid to the rice cooker. His face contorted in disgust as he was hit full blast by the smell of burnt rice. The rice had burned to the point where it looked like it was charcoal but the stew was just fine. Sousuke took a soup ladle to the pot and taste-tested the stew. At least it was still edible. He could save this for dinner. Makoto stood up from the table and cleaned out the rice cooker. "What's the verdict?"

"Stew's still edible so I'll just put it away and reheat it for dinner. I think it might be time to invest in a new rice cooker. All that thing's done is burn rice unless one of us watches it like a hawk and the plug is starting to melt into the socket."

"Nagisa and Rei gave that to us as a housewarming present. I'm not throwing out presents from my friends."

"But Makoto-"

"No buts. Not throwing out that rice cooker."

"I'll change your mind one day. How do you feel about ordering a pizza and calling that lunch?"

"What if we have leftovers?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Makoto laughed and went to the living room.

Shiori was still watching TV and Ken had moved to Shiori's side. He sat down on the floor next to his daughter and pet her hair. Shiori warmed up into her mother's hand and rolled over on her back with a beaming grin on her face. "Peekaboo!" Makoto laughed and began to tickle her. Shiori uncontrollably laughed and kicked her legs up in the air. Makoto's heart warmed hearing his daughter laugh and seeing her smile. He'd missed seeing that. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder but Shiori's absence from home left a hole in his heart and now that hole is filled again. After a while Makoto stopped and Sousuke entered the room after ordering the pizza and putting the stew away for later. Shiori sat up and took a seat in Makoto's lap.

"Hey, Mama?"

"Yes?"

"Is my birthday next week?" Makoto raised an eyebrow and took out his phone. It doesn't feel like her birthday's coming up. He opened the calendar and saw that next week was in fact Shiori's birthday. Makoto's eyes widened. How could he forget that Shiori's birthday was next week?!

"When's your birthday, sweetheart?" Sousuke asked.

"January 15th."

"Do you want anything in particular?"

"Hmm... a sketchbook and colored pencils."

"Done and done. Any ideas for a party?"

"I want it to be a surprise!" Shiori smiled. "Mama always throws me surprise parties and they're really fun!"

Makoto smiled and ruffled Shiori's hair. "You're too sweet."

"It's true! Your surprise parties are the best! Last year, Rei-chan and Uncle Nagi did magic tricks and the rabbit Rei-chan had went poo-poo in his hat! Rei-chan didn't find out until he put his hat on!" Shiori boisterously laughed at the memory. Makoto had to laugh a little too.

From what he remembered of the incident, he was busy putting the candles on Shiori's cake and then all of a sudden he heard Rei yelling out and people in an uproar of laughter. When Makoto looked to see what was going on, Rei's head was covered in rabbit droppings, crying about how his beautiful magic act was tainted. He felt bad for laughing at his friend's pain, but it was too funny not to! Rei's head looked like a brown blob with red glasses and purple eyes. Sousuke began to laugh.

"So that's why Ryugazaki smelled like shit for a week!"

Makoto gasped and covered Shiori's ears. "Language!"

"Sorry, love. I kind of lost myself. Forgive me?" Sousuke moved off the couch and behind Makoto, wrapping his arms around his waist and pressing light kisses to his neck and cheek. Makoto rolled his eyes playfully and leaned back against his boyfriend. "Fine. But don't let it happen again. I'm not about to have a bunch of parents and teachers telling me about Shiori's colorful new vocabulary." Sousuke laughed as the door rang. He got up off the floor and went to the door with his wallet. He opened the door to a pizza boy holding his pizza. Sousuke paid the man and took the pizza into the kitchen.

"Pizza's here!"

The moment the word pizza left his mouth, Ken was standing on his hind legs, pawing at Sousuke's pant leg. Sousuke gently shooed the dog away as his family entered the kitchen. "No, bad dog! This is human food! You stick to dog food and your naughty bits."

"Papa, what are naughty bits?" Shiori innocently asked.

"Nothing your young mind needs to think about. Now grab a slice and eat up the food of champions. God knows how terrible that hospital food can get."

Before Sousuke could grab a slice for himself, his phone rang. He groaned as he took his phone out. Was he on some kind of fast and someone forgot to tell him?! He went back out into the living room and looked at the Caller ID and saw that it was Kagamine, one of the new detectives assigned to Shiori's case.

When Shiori finally awoke, Kagamine wanted to get a chance to talk to her and get her statement about everything that happened so that an arrest could be made but didn't have any chance so far. The reason Shiori and Kagamine didn't meet earlier was because she had a hell of a lot of paperwork to catch up on. For a minute they were fortunate that there was a delay but they knew that sooner or later things would die down and Shiori would have to talk to the detective. Sousuke pressed answer and put the phone to his ear.

"Moshi moshi?"

_"Hey Yamazaki. It's Kagamine. I think you know why I called."_

"I know. It's about bringing Shiori in, isn't it?"

_"It is. Yamazaki, if you want us to make an arrest, we'll have to talk to your daughter as soon as possible."_

"A psychologist met with Shiori earlier this week and he said that it'd be best for her if we didn't trigger any flashbacks. I'm a little apprehensive about bringing her in."

_"I understand the hesitation but if you don't want the person responsible for your daughter's kidnapping and injuries to escape, we can't delay this any longer."_

"Can I at least talk this over with Makoto and Shiori?"

_"Fine, but call me before the end of the day with an answer."_

"Wait, can I ask to be in the room when you talk with my daughter? It might make her feel safer to have me in there with her."

_"I thought this was covered at the academy. Shiori may be a minor but whether or not she'd want her parent in the room is up to her. You'll have to talk to her."_

"I'll talk to her."

_"Perfect. Call me after you talk with your family."_

With that, Kagamine hung up and Sousuke put his phone in his pocket as he exhaled deeply. How the hell was he going to explain this to Makoto? They both knew that when Shiori was found, she'd have to speak with the police, but, with what the psychologist said, they were both a little hesitant on taking Shiori to the station to give her statement. They wanted the bastard responsible behind bars but not at the risk of causing their daughter to develop anxiety. Sousuke went back into the kitchen where Shiori was happily munching on a slice of pizza and Makoto looked at him with perplexity clear in his face. His brow was furrowed to match his facial expression. Sousuke didn't say a word as he grabbed a slice and sat down at the table.

"Who was that on the phone?"

"Oh, it was Kagamine." Makoto didn't even need to ask why Kagamine called. Lately, whenever Kagamine and a phone call were in the same sentence, he knew exactly what it was about. He let out a sigh and looked at Shiori. He knew this was gonna happen one day soon, but he didn't think it would happen this soon.

"Shiori, would you mind finishing your lunch in the living room? Papa and I have some grown-up business to discuss." Shiori nodded and took her pizza into the living room. Sousuke and Makoto were by themselves, tension thick in the room. Neither of them knew how to start off this conversation. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Sousuke decided that enough was enough.

"I think it's best that I take her to the station as soon as possible." Sousuke said, breaking the tension in the room. Makoto looked at him with ambiguity clear in his face.

"Don't you remember what the psychologist said? It's too soon and I don't want Shiori to be triggered by any flashbacks. I think we should wait."

"I agree with you but time is something we don't have, Makoto. Time was against us when Shiori was missing and time is against us again. Who knows where Shiori's captor is by now? In the two months she was in that hospital, they could have fled the country! If we want justice for everything that has happened, I have to take Shiori to the station as soon as possible."

Makoto didn't have a response. He knew that Sousuke was right but he didn't want to admit it. All he was worried about was his daughter and how she'd fair in the interview. He didn't want Shiori to be overwhelmed by unpleasant memories but he also didn't want the person responsible to get away with what they did. With a defeated sigh, he looked at Sousuke. "Would you be in there with her?"

"It's up to Shiori. She may be a minor but it's up to her whether or not she wants me in there with her."

"In that case, she can go. When would you take her there?"

"At the earliest convenience. I could call Kagamine up right now and tell her that we could do it right now or we could wait until tomorrow. I wanted to talk to Shiori about this, too."

"Talk to me about what?" Shiori asked, appearing in the kitchen with curiosity on her face. Sousuke and Makoto looked at her with startled expressions on their faces.

"How long have you been there?" Makoto asked.

"The whole time." Shiori said sheepishly as she twirled some of her hair with her finger.

"Shiori," Makoto scolded, "you can't eavesdrop like that! It's rude."

"Sorry, Mama." Shiori lowered her head in apology. Sousuke got out of his chair and picked up Shiori. He sat back down and put Shiori in his lap.

"Don't be sorry, sweetie. It's better that you eavesdropped a little. Since you heard everything, when do you wanna go and talk to the detective?"

"I wanna go today."

Sousuke's eyes widened a little at the answer. "Today? Are you sure?"

"Yes. I wanna get this over and done with, Papa."

"Alright. Before I place the call, I have to tell you how important it is for you to tell the truth. I can't stress this enough. No matter what Kagamine-san asks, you have to tell her the truth. If we want them to catch the bad guy who hurt you, Papa needs you to be a big girl and, not matter what, be very brave and tell the truth, okay?" Sousuke explained.

"Okay."

"Pinky promise?" Sousuke held up his pinky. Shiori giggled a little and wrapped her pinky finger around his.

"Pinky promise."

"Wonderful, now hop off. Papa's gotta make a call." Shiori laughed and got off her father's lap and went off to the living room. Sousuke took his phone out and dialed Kagamine's number. He waited a few moments before Kagamine finally answered.

_"Moshi moshi?"_

"I talked with my daughter and she said that she wants to get this over and done with today."

_"Perfect. Come to the station as soon as possible."_

"Will do."

Sousuke hung up the phone and noticed that he was in the kitchen all alone. Makoto must have gone out to the living room with Shiori. He left the kitchen and went into the living room with his family and joined them. Shiori was on the floor playing tug-of-war with Ken and his little rope toy while Makoto read a book. Sousuke almost felt a little bad for having to break up the tranquility but it had to be done. He cleared his throat and Shiori, Makoto, and Ken looked up at him.

"Get your shoes on, Shiori. The detective said we could come in today." Shiori nodded and let go of the toy, letting Ken go to town with the fake rope. Makoto put his book down and kissed Shiori's forehead and gave her a hug. Shiori returned the favor and then went to the door to get her shoes on. Makoto kissed Sousuke's cheek.

"Be careful."

"You know I will. I'm always careful with you, aren't I?" Sousuke asked flirtatiously as he snaked a hand down to his lover's waist. Makoto chuckled and gently pushed Sousuke away. "Get out of here before you're late. I'll be here when you get back." Sousuke laughed and went to to the door to see Shiori ready to go. Sousuke chuckled a little as he got his shoes and coat on. Once Sousuke was ready, the two were out the door. Sousuke unlocked the car door and helped Shiori into the car. After she was buckled in, Sousuke got in the diver's seat and drove off to the station.

On the way to the station, the pair cracked jokes and watched the people they passed by in the car. It was like old times again. When they got to the station, Sousuke and Shiori got out of the car and walked in. Shiori held onto Sousuke's hand for dear life. She felt a little scared when they got inside. There was so much commotion going on and there were some criminals screaming and crying about how they didn't do it and that they wanted their lawyer or their mother. Sousuke pulled his daughter a little closer, indicating that he wanted her to stay as close to him as possible. They walked to Sousuke's desk where Rin was leaving an envelope behind. Shiori smiled and let go of her father to run up to Rin.

"Uncle RinRin!" Rin turned around and saw Shiori running to him. He bent down and caught her in time and hugged her then put her down.

"Finally up and outta the hospital, I see!"

"I just got out today!"

Rin noticed the mask on Shiori's face and frowned. "Aww. Is Shi-chan sick?"

"Mama says I got pneumonia and I have to keep it on when I'm not home. And guess what, Uncle RinRin!"

"What?"

"My birthday's next week!" Shiori beamed.

Rin feigned surprise. "Really? What are Mama and Papa gonna plan for you?"

"I dunno. It's a secret!"

Sousuke walked up behind his daughter and chuckled at her excitement. "Makoto and I are gonna come up with something then we'll call everyone. Where's Kagamine?"

"She got called to help with an interrogation. She said you guys could go to Room 7. She'll get to you as soon as she's done." Sousuke nodded and led Shiori to the interview room.

The room itself was kind of grey. There was a table up against a wall with two chairs across from each other. Shiori climbed into one chair and kicked her legs back and forth out of boredom. Sousuke stood against the wall staring at the clock. Before Sousuke knew it, two hours had passed. He yawned and looked at his daughter who had laid her head down on the table. He took off his jacket and draped it over Shiori like a blanket. He knew it took time for an interrogation to come to fruition but this was kind of annoying. They'd been waiting for two hours! Before Sousuke could pick up Shiori and leave, Kagamine stepped into the room.

"Officer Yamazaki, I apologize I didn't realize that the guy they asked me to help interrogate would be so hard-headed. This must be Shiori." Kagamine said, looking at the now fully awake Shiori. The girl nodded and reached up a hand to shake Kagamine's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Kagamine-san!"

"So polite! Let's get this started, shall we?" The detective said as she sat down in the seat across from Shiori, pulling out a notebook and opening it to a certain page.

"Before we start, it is of the utmost importance that you tell me the truth. During the interview, you might feel the need to hold back a little, but please don't, I need you to be very brave here and tell me the truth and whatever else you can remember. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Alright. Now you may be a minor but, if you want, your father can be in here with you. Do you want your father in here with you?"

"Can Papa be in here with me?"

"Of course he can. Ready to start?" Shiori nodded and the detective asked the first question,

"First and foremost, what happened the night you disappeared?"

"I was sleeping and my dog, Ken, was barking so loud that he woke me up. When I turned the light on, there was a man dressed in black standing in my room. I screamed then he covered my mouth and stuck something sharp in my neck and then I went to sleep again. When I woke up again I was in a really icky basement and locked in a cage."

"Do you remember what the man who abducted you looked like?"

"No, I don't. It happened too fast. I didn't see him after that."

"Are you saying that the man who abducted you wasn't your captor the whole time?"

"No, he wasn't."

"Do you remember the person you were with for five months?" Shiori's throat began to feel tight, as if water was going down her throat and filling her lungs to the brim. She began to tremble and her eyes welled up with tears as her chest started feeling tight. Shiori took deep breaths before she could answer.

"Kisumi and Seijuurou..." Sousuke's eyes widened at Shiori's answer. Those fucking bastards! They did all this to Shiori?! When he got his hands on them, he was gonna chop off their hands and feed them to his family! Sousuke was producing the most dangerous aura that could ever be produced. He was beyond angry. How could they do all of that to a child?!

"What did they do to you?"

Shiori's breath hitched when she thought about all that happened to her when she was in that basement. All those beatings and punishments she went through. The memories flooded through her mind like water. Getting cut, getting beat up, getting locked up in that closet with the loud music blaring in her ears. Being kept up at all hours of the night, the bruises the rope left, the bugs and spoiled food she was forced to eat, being starved, almost dying from being drowned, the verbal and emotional abuse she went through, Kisumi laughing at her pain, Seijuurou just standing there and not doing a thing about it. Shiori took a deep breath and looked the detective deep in the eyes.

"Kisumi did most of it, Seijuurou just sat back and let Kisumi boss him around. I got hurt a lot. Kisumi would beat me up. Cut me. Tie me up to a pole and leave me there for a long time. Lock me in a closet with really loud music that hurt my ears. Keep me up at night. Feed me bugs and bad food. Starve me. Say mean things to me and call me mean names. Drown me to the point where I almost died."

Shiori felt her chest getting tighter with each word spoken. Her lungs felt as if there was no air. It was as if she were back in the basement and Kisumi was holding her head under the water again. She couldn't breathe! Her body trembled heavily at the memories. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she clutched her head with both her hands and began to rock back and forth, going into a panic. She didn't want to think about it. She couldn't think about it! She didn't want to think about the basement anymore!

"No!" Shiori cried, "No! Please, no more! I don't wanna go to the tub! No! No! NO!"

By now, Shiori was hysterically crying and rocking back and forth frantically as she tried to catch her breath. Sousuke leapt into action and took Shiori into his arms and held her. He whispered comforting things into his child's ear, telling her that she wasn't in that basement anymore and that Kisumi and Seijuurou couldn't hurt her anymore. Holding Shiori like this reminded Sousuke of the night Shiori spent the night at his old apartment. She had a nightmare that night and it made her cry. He remembered holding her and telling her a story until she fell asleep again. This wasn't like the nightmare. Shiori was having a panic attack caused by horridly unpleasant memories and all Sousuke could do for her was hold her and repeatedly whisper comforts to her.

"Breathe, honey, breathe. Kisumi and Seijuurou can't hurt you anymore. Papa's here." Sousuke whispered. After a while, Shiori calmed down and held on tight to her father, refusing to let go of him. Sousuke sat down in Shiori's seat and glowered at Kagamine, silently scolding her for triggering a panic attack. Kagamine gave Sousuke an apologetic look and gave Shiori a caring smile.

"Do you need to take a break, Shiori?"

By now, Shiori had calmed down enough to speak but she wasn't going to let go of her father any time soon and she was still shaking in fear from the memories. "Yes, please."

"Alright. I'll leave until you calm down." Kagamine mumbled as she stood up and left the break room. Sousuke and Shiori were all alone in the interview room and everything was silent with the exception of Shiori's whimpers. Sousuke gently rubbed her back as he rocked her back and forth like he was rocking a baby to sleep in a rocking chair. He whispered his repeated comforts into her ear in hopes that they'd quiet her whimpering. Within an hour, Shiori finally calmed down and laid her head against her father's shoulder.

"Papa?"

"Yes, Shiori?"

"Will Kisumi hurt me again when he finds out I talked about everything? One time he said that if I got out of the basement by some miracle, he would hurt me if I talked to the police about what happened."

Sousuke felt his jaw clench tightly at the idea of anyone hurting Shiori. "No. He won't hurt you again because I won't let him and if he tries, he'll have to get through Mama and I before he even thinks about laying a finger on you. We'll keep you safe. We slipped up once and we won't let that happen again. I can promise you that."

"I wanna go home, Papa." Shiori started to whimper again.

"We'll go back home soon. Just answer the rest of Kagamine-san's questions and we can go home. Okay, Shi-shi?"

Shiori laughed. "That's a new one."

"Just trying it on for size. Like it?"

"Hai. Can Kagamine-san come back? I'm ready to keep going." Sousuke nodded and looked to the door and saw Kagamine waiting in the doorway. He motioned for her to come back in and she did. She took her seat across from the father and daughter and reopened her notebook. 

"Can you tell me what do Kisumi and Seijuurou look like?"

Shiori coughed a little before she answered, "Kisumi has pink, fluffy hair like cotton-candy and purple eyes. Seijuurou has red hair and I think golden eyes."

"Yamazaki, do you know the people your daughter is talking about?"

Sousuke nodded. "Shigino Kisumi and Mikoshiba Seijuurou. Kisumi is my ex and Seijuurou is my current boyfriend's ex. We haven't heard from either of them in months. We thought that they'd finally gotten the message that neither of us were going to take them back but, in light of the situation, I guess not." The detective nodded and wrote down some notes before she asked Shiori another question.

"How often would they hurt you?"

"Everyday. There was no pattern to what they'd do, it was random."

"Do you know where the basement you were held in is located?"

"No. I only saw the inside of it. I was sleeping when I got there and I was sleeping when I left. All I remember about it was that it was old and falling apart. I don't think I'd be able to recognize it from the outside." The detective nodded and wrote down some notes.

"Is there anything else that you feel you should mention before we conclude?"

"No, I told you everything." Kagamine closed the book and gave Shiori a gentle smile.

"You were very brave, Shiori. I'm gonna put out an All Points Bulletin to find them and when we do, we'll tell your Papa so that he can tell you, okay?" Shiori weakly nodded and held onto her father for dear life. Sousuke stood up and bowed to Kagamine before leaving the room. When he and Shiori left the room, Rin was waiting for them. The redhead was sporting a frown when he saw Shiori clinging to her father with tear tracks on her cheeks. After knowing the child all her life, it was heartbreaking seeing a happy child looking so sad.

"I dunno why they keep assigning Kagamine to cases like these. Everyone knows that she's really awkward with children."

Sousuke shrugged, "She's a woman and children feel more at ease with a woman than a man. I should get going. The little one needs time to herself. Need a lift? I know your shift in the police box is about to start in half an hour."

"Yea and I don't feel like walking today so I was gonna take a car." Sousuke rolled his eyes as he led the way to the car. When they got to the car, Rin got in the passenger side while Sousuke put Shiori in the back seat and buckled her in. He closed the back door and got into the driver's seat. Once he started the car, he drove off to the police box where Rin was going on patrol this week. The drive there was uncomfortably silent. Rin decided to break the ice with the envelope he had earlier. He was going to leave it on Sousuke's desk but he figured he'd keep it with him.

"I have a card here for Shiori. Everyone in the station, including the chief, signed it so I'll just, uh, leave it here." Rin said as he put the envelope in the fold down mirror. The shark turned around and smiled at Shiori. "You know, it takes a lot of guts to do what you did. Most people feel afraid to cooperate with the police like that so they end the case before anything can be done. In fact, you remind me a lot of another brave little girl."

Shiori sniffled and looked at him. "Really, Uncle RinRin?"

"Really. Almost a year ago there was a little girl right around your age who called the police. Her papa was hurting her mama and she called the police about it. Your father and I responded to the call and we arrested the father. During the investigation, the girl and her mother cooperated with us and we were able to put the bad man away quickly. Most people who go through that abuse usually get too scared and they drop the case out of fear that they'll be hurt but that little girl and her mother weren't scared. They saw through the whole process and got the justice they deserve."

"What happened to the girl and her mama?" Shiori asked.

"Last I heard on that case they moved out of Iwatobi. To where, I dunno, but, at least they're getting a fresh start somewhere else." Sousuke hummed in agreement.

He remembered that case as if it were yesterday. The bastard's excuse for doing it was because his wife is a no-good whore. Sousuke didn't believe that sorry-ass excuse for a minute. No matter what she did in her past, there was no excuse for him to hurt her or her child like that. Just like there was no excuse for Kisumi and Seijuurou to do what they did to Shiori. Sousuke's blood boiled at the very thought. All Sousuke could think about was killing them but it would cause more harm than good. Eventually they got to the police box and Rin got out. They said their goodbyes and as soon as Rin was in the little building, they were homeward bound.

The car ride home was silent, except for the low roar of the engine and the tires on the road with occasional beeping horns. Shiori stared out the window with empty eyes. All she was thinking about now was the memories of that basement. The cold, dark basement where there was barely any light. The rats that scurried by her cage and, at one time, got into the cage and bit her. The thin blanket that didn't keep her warm during those cold nights, the various tortures she went through by Kisumi's hand and Seijuurou's cowardice. She wanted these memories to fade away into nothing. She wanted to forget those memories. Shiori stared out the window until they arrived home.

Sousuke and Shiori got out of the car and went into the house. Shiori shrugged off her coat and took her shoes off then retreated upstairs to her room. Sousuke frowned and went to the living room where Makoto was napping on the couch. Sousuke smirked a little and knelt down to Makoto's face and kissed his nose. Makoto's nose crinkled a little but he remained undisturbed. Sousuke laughed quietly and placed more feather-like kisses on Makoto's nose. Makoto woke up and smiled at his boyfriend.

"Hey, you're back. How'd it go?"

Sousuke pressed his lips together and sighed. "It went well but, uh, Shiori had a panic attack."

Makoto's smile faltered as he sat up, fully awake and eyes wide. "How'd it happen? What did Kagamine ask her?" Sousuke went on to explain what happened. Every detail about the interview, what had happened, everything Shiori said. With each word said, Makoto felt his heart drop lower and lower as he heard of the things that happened to his baby girl. By the time Sousuke was done, Makoto had tears rolling down his cheeks. He couldn't believe that anyone, let alone Kisumi and Seijuurou, were low enough to go and hurt a child for no reason. His heart felt heavy with all the pain he felt for Shiori whilst she was in their clutches. He wiped his cheeks and sighed.

"Is there anything getting done?"

"There's an APB out as we speak. They're gonna find those two and they'll rot in prison."

"I hope they're found soon."

"Me too. In the mean time, let's think about some positive things like planning Shiori's birthday party. Any ideas? I was thinking of a simple party with some of our family. My parents, your parents and the twins."

Makoto smiled a little. "I was thinking we up the game a little."

"What did you have in mind?"

"She seemed to enjoy the aquarium so I figure the three of us go there while we leave the spare key for our friends and family so they can set up for a party. We come back home in the dark, lights go up, boom! Happy birthday to Shiori!" Sousuke tossed the idea around in his head a little. Shiori wouldn't shut up about the aquarium for days after their visit and she expressed a heavy interest in going back one day soon. A birthday trip there followed by a surprise party with friends and family would delight her. He smiled and sat on the couch next to Makoto.

"That's a good idea. She'll get a kick of it."

"To plan a child's surprise party, you have to think about what the child likes. I'm gonna go upstairs and check on her." Makoto said as he left the living room and went upstairs. He walked up to Shiori's door and gave it a light knock before entering. When he opened the door, Shiori was sitting cross-legged on her bed playing with the dolls Ran gave her the day they moved. She seemed fine but Makoto knew better. Shiori was probably still a little shaken from what happened earlier. Finally, Makoto cleared his throat and Shiori looked up at him.

"Hey, Shi-chan. What are you doing there?" He asked as he sat across from his daughter. Shiori shrugged and played with the dolls a little more.

"Playing with my dolls."

"Papa told me what happened at the station." Shiori froze for a second then put the dolls down. Her head was pointed downward, as if she were ashamed of herself. Makoto licked his lips and let out an inaudible sigh. "Shiori, I need you to look at me." Shiori reluctantly looked up at her mother. Tears tracks stained her cheeks and her eyes were filled to the brim with more threatening to fall as her eyes were red. "There's nothing to be ashamed about. I've had panic attacks before and I know how you're feeling." Shiori gave her mother a quizzical look. "The first time it happened was sometime after you were born. I was scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Everything. I was young, unmarried, raising a baby on my own, wondering how I'd support both of us, wondering how I'd keep you safe, making do with everything I had, doing what I could to make sure your needs were met, giving you the best quality of life I could offer you, and, most of all, thinking about all the possible ways I could mess up the best gift I ever received. It all overwhelmed me so much that I just freaked out. I don't think I could have gotten by without your grandparents there helping me when I needed it." Shiori smiled a little and wiped her tears away.

"I don't want to think about it anymore, Mama. I don't want to remember it. I'm scared that this is gonna happen again."

"Don't be scared, honey. I know it's scary when it happens, but you can't help it. You have no control over it; anxiety is a hard thing to maintain. Just remember, Papa and I are always here for you and we'll always be there when you're feeling bad. You can tell us anything and we won't be mad at you."

"Never?"

"Never ever."

Shiori held up her pinky finger. "Promise?"

"Promise." Makoto said as he wrapped his pinky around Shiori's. They giggled and Makoto took Shiori into his arms then hugged her tight and gave her a kiss on her head. "I love you so much, Shiori. Never forget that."

"I won't, Mama. I love you, too."

"You two are adorable." A voice said from the door. Makoto and Shiori turned looked to the door to see Sousuke standing there, leaning against the arch with his arms crossed and his usual lady-killer grin on his face. Makoto laughed.

"Is everyone in the Yamazaki family a ninja?"

"Yes, every Yamazaki is a ninja." Sousuke joked. "And this is an attack everyone in the Yamazaki clan uses on on their partners." He said as he put his hand on the back of Makoto's head and pressed his lips against Makoto's plump lips. Makoto blushed and kissed back. After a tender moment, the couple pulled away. Shiori looked at her parents and tilted her head in curiosity. She's seen her parents kiss multiple times and they seem to really love each other.

"Mama?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you and Papa ever gonna get married?"

Makoto was taken aback as he choked on his own spit. He never imagined his own child would ask that kind of question. He looked at Sousuke who was equally taken aback and smiled at him, taking his hand into his and squeezing it. Sousuke squeezed back and leaned his head on Makoto's shoulder. Makoto chuckled. "One day in the future. When, I don't know, but, one day."

"Can I be the flower girl when you get married?" Shiori asked as her eyes lit up. Makoto smiled and pinched her cheek.

"Of course, Shi-chan. You're our daughter, you have to be in the wedding one way or another."

"Can Ken be in the wedding, too?"

Sousuke laughed. "Why not? Ken's part of this family. He could be our furry little ring bearer."

"Can a dog even be a ring bearer?" Makoto asked.

"It's possible. My aunt married a man who couldn't part with his dog. All we've gotta do is get a vest for Ken to hold the rings and train him to walk down the aisle next to Shiori. Speaking of the dog, where is he?" Shiori pointed behind her to a really furry pillow. Sousuke narrowed his eyes and saw the outline of Ken's head. He chuckled to himself. Ken really did love Shiori. Speaking of Shiori, she had started to cough. Makoto pat her back in an attempt to help her get rid of the cough. After a moment Shiori stopped coughing and took a few deep breaths.

"Sounds like someone needs some medicine." Shiori frowned deeply.

"I don't want to drink cough medicine! It tastes really bad!"

"It's not like that, honey." Sousuke assured. "The doctor prescribed you an inhaler and antibiotics to get rid of the pneumonia. You don't have to drink terrible cough medicine." Sousuke left the room to get Shiori's medicine. Makoto took the time to take Shiori's temperature and found that she was burning up.

"Get under the covers, you've got a fever."

"I feel fine!" Shiori pouted then coughed. Makoto peeled the covers back and helped Shiori under them. Ken stirred awake and laid next to his favorite human. As Makoto was tucking Shiori in, Sousuke came back with the inhaler, spacer, and antibiotics. Makoto took the inhaler and spacer and combined them. "When I press down on the top part here, you need to breathe in the medicine through your mouth and swallow as if you're eating. Got it?" Shiori nodded in understanding and opened her mouth when Makoto positioned the end of the spacer near her lips. Makoto pressed his finger down on the inhaler and Shiori breathed in the medicine and swallowed it. They repeated the process one more time then Sousuke gave Shiori an antibiotic. After she received her medicine, Shiori pouted a little.

"How long do I have to stay in bed?"

"Until you're better." Sousuke answered, "I'm gonna bring my laptop in here so you can watch Netflix, okay?" Shiori nodded and sat up in bed.

Sousuke left Shiori's room and went to his room to find his laptop. When he found it, he logged in and went to the internet to clear his browser history and put everything he'd downloaded or made onto his flash drive. Never know when Shiori might stumble onto a website kids shouldn't be on or end up wiping off the entire hard drive. Whilst his flash drive was loading with what he'd saved, he went to the internet to clear his browser history. He looked at all of the stuff he'd done and sighed a little. He probably should have sprung on getting a second laptop for the family to use. _I'll probably go and get it this weekend,_ Sousuke thought as he cleared his history. Once his flash drive was finished he took the little stick out and put it away. He then took his laptop and walked to Shiori's room.

When he got to his daughter's room, Shiori was still sitting up with Ken moved into her lap. Makoto was sitting beside Shiori gently humming a song to her while rocking her from side to side. Sousuke set the computer down on the bed and set up a Netflix profile for Shiori. Sousuke looked at the movies section and picked Thumbelina. The movie started and Shiori moved out of her mother's arms to focus on the movie. Makoto smiled a little and got up from the bed and left the room with Sousuke following. They went to their room and laid down on their bed, in each other's arms. Sousuke had his arms wrapped around Makoto as their hands were intertwined. Makoto smiled and snuggled into his boyfriend's warm embrace.

"When was the last time we cuddled like this?"

"It's been a while. Are you still thinking about what Shiori asked?"

Makoto raised an eyebrow. "About us getting married?"

"Yea. My parents are bugging me about it saying that you're a good catch and that I should snag you up while we're still together." Makoto laughed.

"If you like it then you should put a ring on it. Are you even ready to get married yet?"

Sousuke sighed a little. He didn't know if he was ready or not. He felt ready but, at the same time, he didn't feel like he was ready yet. He loved Makoto more than life itself and wanted to grow old with him. He wanted to expand their family. He wanted to wake up with Makoto in his arms and enjoy his days with him. Sousuke kissed him and tangled their legs together. "I don't think I am. Are you ready to get marred?"

"I like the way we are now. One day in the future, I'd love to, but, for now, let's wait. Besides, I can't think about planning a wedding now; We just brought Shiori home and I want to wait until she gets used to being home again before I can think about walking down an aisle and saying 'I do.'" Sousuke took Makoto's left hand and kissed the ring finger before kissing Makoto.

"I've still gotta get the ring. I love you so much, I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

"I love you too, Sousuke. I don't know what I'd do without you either. You're a wonderful father and you're the best boyfriend anyone could ever ask for. Most people would kill for someone like you." Sousuke held Makoto closer and kissed his forehead.

"Most people get jealous because I got a sweetheart like you." Makoto blushed and hid his face in the crook of Sousuke's neck out of embarrassment. Sousuke couldn't help but laugh at his boyfriend. They've been together for almost a year now and he still got flustered easily, even when they were alone together. He found it cute and laughable. Fingers gently ran themselves through Makoto's hair and Sousuke kissed his ear. "What are you embarrassed for? It's just me."

"I-its the principle of the matter. You know I get flustered easily."

"And that is one of the many things I love about you~"

Makoto blushed more. "What is this? An experiment to see how many times you could make me blush in under two minutes?"

"Maybe." Sousuke replied nonchalantly as his hand made its way to Makoto's backside and grabbed a handful of ass. Makoto squeaked as he jumped up. His face was as red as a ripe tomato. Makoto grabbed a pillow and hid his face in it. Sousuke trailed his hand up the back of Makoto's shirt and felt his back muscles. Makoto sighed and looked at Sousuke through half-lidded eyes.

"You suck."

"Now _that's_ something you didn't say last night." Sousuke huskily remarked in Makoto's ear.

"Don't you have soup to reheat for your family? You're baby girl's sick in bed."

"I'll get to it soon. Poor Shiori, I think all of today's excitement caught up with her. I hate seeing her like this."

"Me too. The good thing is with the breathing treatments and antibiotics, she'll get better soon. I'm starting to get a bit peckish."

"Fine. I'll get downstairs and get food for my lovelies." Sousuke said as he kissed Makoto's cheek and got out of the bed and went down to the kitchen.

When Sousuke made it down to the kitchen, he turned up the stove and waited for the soup to warm up. As he waited for the food to warm up, he got out three bowls and three spoons. He would cook some rice but keeping mind that the rice cooker was temperamental, he wasn't about to waste anymore rice on that thing. He knew how much Makoto valued his friends and the things they give him but it was time to cut the team mom umbilical cord and toss the rice cooker the fuck out.

After an hour and a half, the food finised reheating and Sousuke put the soup into all three bowls. He set two down on the table and put one on a tray for Shiori along with a cup of apple juice. Sousuke took the tray and went upstairs to Shiori's room. When he got there, she was still engrossed by the movie. He chuckled to himself and left the tray on her bedside table. He looked on the screen to see that Shiori was still watching Thumbelina. He pat her head and walked out of the room.

Sousuke went to the kitchen to see that Makoto had beaten him. He smiled at his boyfriend and sat down to their meal. The meal was silent and the couple kept looking at each other with occasional loving glances. Sousuke loved nights like this. Quiet nights at home were one of the highlights of his day. It was nice to get away from today's earlier stress and to unwind at home. After they finished dinner, Sousuke washed the dishes while Makoto dried them and put them away.

"Dinner was really good, Sousuke. You should rethink being a cop."

Sousuke shrugged and handed Makoto a dish. "I've thought about it but I kind of like living out the buddy cop fantasy with Rin."

"That's something that's always confused me. Why did you two become cops anyway? I thought Rin was gonna be an Olympic swimmer and you were gonna work with your father."

"It was after graduation and we dared each other to go through the police academy. Next thing I know, making the world a better place became my job. Speaking of work, are you gonna get another job?"

Makoto put the dried dish away. "Maybe. The most I have is a high school degree so its going to be minimum wage. I'm starting to get tired. You got everything?"

"Mm-hmm. Go up to bed, I'll be there soon." Makoto pecked Sousuke's lips before he left the kitchen.

When Sousuke finished up then went upstairs to check on Shiori. He opened the door to see Shiori asleep with Ken right beside her. He checked her tray to see that she'd eaten it all. He took the tray off the table and pulled the covers up on his daughter. Sousuke closed his laptop and put it on Shiori's table then turned the light off. Sousuke returned the tray to the kitchen and cleaned the dishes that were on the tray. After he finished, he went to his bedroom. He changed out of his clothes and into his pajamas then crawled in bed next to Makoto, who was sound asleep. He wrapped his arms around Makoto and kissed his cheek.

Nights like this reminded him that he was a lucky man. If Makoto were anyone else, he wouldn't have a second chance. He watched Makoto sleep and listened to the sound of his breathing. Makoto looked angelic in his sleep. It amazed Sousuke that he was able to let go of such a creature with no remorse. Sousuke smiled and cupped Makoto's cheek. He wasn't going to let him go again. He was gonna hold onto him for as long as he could. Sousuke planted another kiss on Makoto's cheek then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep with Makoto in his arms. Soon the house was quiet and all the inhabitants were sleeping peacefully.

Well, everyone except for Shiori who was tossing and turning in her sleep.

* * *

**~Shiori's Nightmare~**

* * *

_Shiori sobbed quietly for her mother as she was tied up to a pole. She'd been there for three days and she was weak. Her eyes were dead and hollow. Her lips were contorted in a deep frown. Her throat was scratchy from all the screaming, begging, and crying she'd done for Mama, Papa, anyone to come and save her from this hell. She didn't want to be here anymore. She wanted to go home. Shiori struggled to get out of the rope but had no success. She began to sob louder, ignoring the fact that her throat hurt. How long was she going to be here? In her crying, she didn't hear Kisumi approaching her._

_Shiori looked up in time to receive a slap to her face. She gasped and gazed upon Kisumi in fear. He untied the rope and led Shiori upstairs. Shiori knew this path well. It was the path to the bathroom. She struggled to get away from him and run away but Kisumi was stronger. He dragged her into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Her breathing got heavier as she knew what was to come. Kisumi shoved her towards the tub. He put his hand on her head and shoved her underwater. Shiori screamed and struggled to get away from Kisumi but she couldn't. Her throat and lungs filled up with water and made it hard for her to breathe properly._

_After a while underwater, Shiori began to black out. Her vision was fading and her heartbeat was slowing down. Her eyes began to droop as she stopped struggling. Black dots began to litter her vision as her movements became still. This was it. This was her end. This is where she'd die. Suddenly, she was pulled out of the water and haphazardly tossed onto the cold, cracked linoleum floor. She couldn't hear what was going on but it sounded like Kisumi and Seijuurou were fighting over her again. The same old argument; keep her here longer or let her go. Shiori was drifting in and out of consciousness as they mercilessly argued. After a moment of trying to fight it, she slowly slipped into the darkness._

* * *

Shiori was kicking, punching at the air, and screaming as if she were being hurt. Her eyes were tightly closed so she didn't know that it was just her memories torturing her in her sleep. As she continued to scream, Makoto and Sousuke burst into her room with a knife and baseball bat drawn. They made a mistake of letting something like this slip by them once, they weren't letting it happen again. When they saw that no one was in the child's bedroom, Makoto put the baseball bat down and tended to his daughter. He took her into his arms and tried to calm her down by whispering soothing things. Shiori took this as Kisumi and repeatedly punched her mother.

"No! Let me go! I want Mama! I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!" Shiori hysterically screamed. Makoto let go of her and tried to get her to stop punching him, but she wasn't letting up. Sousuke dropped the knife and held Shiori's arms to stop her from punching Makoto.

"Shiori, open your eyes!" Sousuke yelled.

Shiori stopped struggling and opened her eyes. It was a nightmare. She wasn't in the basement. She was at home with her parents. Her eyes welled up with tears as she began to sob loudly. Sousuke let go of Shiori's arms as she sobbed into Makoto's chest and apologized profusely. Makoto shushed her and rubbed her back in comfort as he rocked her back and forth. There was a knock at the door and Sousuke went to answer it. When he did it was his elderly next door neighbor, Mr. Nakamura, looking very worried and with a shotgun drawn and ready for action.

"What's going on, Yamazaki? Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, sir. Shiori just had a nightmare."

The elderly man put his shotgun down. "Oh no. I hope your girl feels better. Good night."

"Good night, sir." Sousuke replied as he closed the door and went back upstairs to Makoto and Shiori.

Makoto and Shiori were still in Shiori's room. The girl was still sobbing into her mother's chest and Makoto was still rocking her back and forth while rubbing her back in comfort. Sousuke went over to them and hugged Shiori as she cried. Sousuke hated knowing that Kisumi was crazy enough to hurt his daughter and that Seijuurou was stupid enough to go along with it all. It was painful to listen to his daughter crying. Knowing that she was in pain, crying for them for five months killed him inside. Seeing Shiori in any pain in general killed Sousuke inside.

Shiori only continued to sob into her mother's chest. She felt so numb. She felt like someone took a hammer and broke her mind and soul with it. She wanted to forget the basement. She wanted to forget about every beating. She wanted to forget every cruel word Kisumi ever said. She wanted to forget all the nights she kept herself up quietly sobbing for someone to save her. She wanted to forget it all. She wanted to be rid of the memories, but she couldn't shake them off. The memories attacked her like a rabid dog. It took a while for Shiori to stop sobbing and cries were reduced to small whimpers. Makoto slightly pulled away from the hug and wiped her tears.

"Wanna sleep with Mama and Papa tonight, Shi-chan?" Shiori couldn't do anything but cough but she managed to nod. "Okay, let's go to bed. You too, Ken. Come along." Makoto said as he stood with with Shiori in his arms and walked to the bedroom with Sousuke and Ken in tow. When they got there, Makoto laid Shiori down in the middle bed and got him himself. Sousuke got in bed and pet his daughter's hair as she whimpered into his chest. Ken hopped up on the bed and laid down next to his favorite human, falling asleep instantly.

"Papa?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't wanna go back to sleep."

"Why not?"

"I'm scared I'll remember everything and I don't want to remember it all." This fear that she was back in the basement was what kept Shiori from a good night's sleep. She could barely sleep in the hospital and she can't sleep now. She looked up at her father with sad eyes. "Papa, did you ever have nightmares?"

"I did and sometimes I still do. When I used to get nightmares, I'd go into my parents' room and Mom would sing me to sleep. I think it may help you go to sleep."

"But what if I have another nightmare?"

"Mama and I are gonna hold you until you're okay again."

"Can you please sing the song, Papa?"

"Sure. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away. The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping I dreamt I held you in my arms. When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken. So I hung my head, and cried. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." Sousuke sang. When he finished, he saw that both Shiori and Makoto had fallen asleep. He kissed their foreheads before closing his eyes and falling asleep himself.

* * *

The next morning, Makoto woke up to Ken laying on his chest. Slowly, Makoto moved the dog off of his chest so that he could sit up. He yawned and saw that Shiori was still sound asleep next to him. A sense of nostalgia appeared in Makoto's face as he remembered those mornings where Shiori was curled up next to him, asleep. He kissed her forehead and got out of bed. His stomach growled and he rubbed it a little as he left the room then walked downstairs to get some breakfast. Before he could get to the kitchen the doorbell rang. He groaned a little and opened the front door. Standing on his doorstep was Nagisa who was visibly upset. Makoto frowned as his motherly instincts were beginning to come out to play.

"Hey, Mako-chan. How is Shi-chan?"

"Just fine. She had a nightmare last night but she's asleep now. Are _you_ okay? You look very upset."

"I really need someone to talk to." Makoto nodded and stepped aside to let Nagisa in the house.

Once the blond had his shoes off, Makoto led him into the kitchen. They sat down at the table and Nagisa looked like he was trying to fight off a flood of tears. The frown on Makoto's face deepened as he pet Nagisa's hair a little. This reminded him of the time Nagisa almost quit the swim club. He remembered how sad his friend was and all the lengths he went to so he could stay in the club. He frowned a little. It took a lot for someone as happy as Nagisa to get upset. It must really be bad this time.

"What happened, Nagisa? Is there something wrong with you and Rei?"

"We're fine. At least, we still are."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm pregnant, Mako-chan!" Nagisa cried. "I'm screwed!"

"Why is it a bad thing? Does Rei not want the baby?"

"He won't want the baby once I tell him!"

Makoto was more confused than ever. Nagisa sighed and wiped his tears. "We haven't been doing well for a little while now and we've been fighting; something we never did. Last month we got into an argument so bad that I stormed out and went to a nightclub. I met a man there and I just got so drunk that I blacked out. I don't know what happened but when I woke up the next morning I was in his apartment, naked. I freaked out for a bit then grabbed my clothes, hauled ass, and did the walk of shame. I started feeling sick a couple weeks ago. I thought it was a stomach bug but, according to a pregnancy test and an ultrasound, it's not. According to my doctor, I'm a month along." More tears slid out of Nagisa's eyes by the end of the explaination.

"Nagisa, if you don't mind me asking, what have you guys been fighting about?" Makoto asked with disbelief. Nagisa and Rei never fought and if they did it was resolved within an hour. The blond sighed and wiped his tears.

"We went to dinner with his family a while ago. His parents never liked me because they think I'm a bad influence on Rei. His mother said that it must be embarrassing for Rei to go out in public with me. I was hurt by it and it was clear that I was hurt! And what does Rei do? Nothing! He didn't say anything to his mother and from that, we've been fighting. What kind of man doesn't defend his lover against his parents?! I defend him all the time when anyone in my family does that! he could at least do the same for me!"

"Does Rei know that you're pregnant?"

"No. He doesn't even know that I cheated."

"He doesn't know?!" Makoto was surprised to say the least. There were hardly any secrets between Rei and Nagisa and to find out there was one is quite shocking.

"All I told him about that night was that I got drunk and the owner let me sleep in the back. As for the morning sickness, I've chalked that up to a stomach bug. What am I gonna do?! Rei-chan's going to break up with me, I just know it!" Nagisa began to cry again. All Makoto could do for his friend at the moment was hug him. He couldn't imagine being in Nagisa's situation. Feeling alone, as if the world's against you. Tears slid out of Makoto's eyes. He could understand being with a man who doesn't want to take care of another man's child. "What am I going to do, Mako-chan? I'm frightened! He won't want me or the baby! He'll kick me out when I tell him!" Nagisa sobbed.

Makoto wiped Nagisa's tears away. "Rei won't break up with you over this nor will he kick you out. He loves you to death. I saw the way he looked at you in high school and I see the way he looks at you now. There's undying love in his eyes and he looks at you as if he's falling in love all over again. He'll stay with you and he'll treat the baby like his own flesh and blood."

"What if he doesn't?"

"You're welcome to stay here if I'm wrong." Nagisa smiled at Makoto a little then looked past him to see the rice cooker he and Rei gave to Makoto. He laughed ruefully.

"You guys still have that rice cooker?"

"We do. Sousuke was talking about throwing it out last night since all it does is burn rice and the plug melted into the socket yesterday." The blond stifled a laugh.

"Honestly, Rei and I wanted to get rid of that thing since it wasn't working for us! It was expensive but it's a cheap little thing. I thought there was something wrong with the outlet in our apartment."

"Nagisa!" Makoto scolded, "Why didn't you tell me that it was temperamental?!"

"I thought there was something wrong with our apartment!" The two shared a laugh and sighed at the end. Makoto rubbed Nagisa's shoulder.

"Everything's going to be alright. Just have faith in Rei." Nagisa nodded as a pair of footsteps came towards the kitchen. Shiori appeared with Ken following her, rubbing her eyes. Makoto picked her up and put her in his lap. "Hey there sleepy head. Did you just wake up?" Shiori quietly nodded and yawned. Makoto smiled and pointed at Nagisa. "Look who's here." Shiori followed her mother's finger and saw Nagisa. Her eyes lit up as she hopped out of Makoto's lap and climbed into Nagisa's lap.

"Uncle Nagi!"

"How's my little itty bitty Shi-chan?"

"Hungry." Shiori answered bluntly. Nagisa laughed.

"You heard your baby, Mamakoto. Feed her. And your guest, too~" Makoto playfully rolled his eyes at Nagisa as he stood up and began making breakfast.

"I swear, it's as if I have two children." Makoto complained to himself. Nagisa chuckled and felt as if his earlier stress was gone. He felt as if he'd be alright. He knew that Rei loved him with all his heart but knowing that it was another man's child would be a challenge for his boyfriend. Nagisa put a hand on his stomach and smiled. His baby would be happy, no matter what. Nagisa joked around with Shiori, content with everything and didn't notice that he'd butt dialed Rei.

* * *

Rei ended the call with shock clear on his face. Nagisa cheated on him and was pregnant with another man's baby. He didn't know what to think. What could he think? He had a choice to make. Remain with Nagisa or leave him to fend for himself and a baby. If he stayed with Nagisa, they'd have to get married before the baby was born. If he left, he wouldn't feel right knowing that Nagisa was going through this alone. He put his phone down and took his glasses off. He pinched the bridge of his nose. This was giving him a headache.

"Dammit!" Rei hissed to himself as he hit the table. He was in the lab downstairs typing up a toxicology report on the corpse of a young man found murdered outside a nightclub when he heard his phone ringing. It was Nagisa calling. When he answered, he heard the whole conversation. He didn't know what to think about it. Hell, he didn't have the boyfriend skills necessary to deal with this! He probably should have studied more shoujo manga and soap operas for those skills. Oh god, he had to read so many books and prepare a steady diet for Nagisa and learn proper child care and-

"Rei! You done with the toxicology report?" A voice asked. Rei jumped in surprise to see Rin standing in front of him.

"How long have you been there?"

"I just got here. The hell's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"It's nothing. You came for the toxicology report, right?"

"Yea. Tsukiyama's flipping out about it. Is it ready?"

"I'm almost done. I have to do revisions then I'll print it out for you." Rei nervously said as he went back to revising the report.

Rin leaned on the table and used his left arm to support his head. "Is there something wrong with you or Nagisa? You seem distracted."

Rei opened his mouth then closed it. He wanted to talk to someone about this but he didn't want to tell anyone until Nagisa said it was okay to tell anyone else. Purple eyes looked into red with sadness and confusion lining them. "Rin-san, what would you do if Haruka-senpai cheated on you with another man and got pregnant with that man's baby?" Rin was taken aback by Rei's question but then scratched the back on his neck.

"Honestly, I don't know. I mean, he cheated on me but he also needs help with that baby. I'd have to do a lot of thinking before I can come up with a solid answer." Rei nodded as he finished up the toxicology report and printed it out. Rin took the report off the printer and turned to leave. Before he left the lab, he turned back around and faced Rei. "If it means anything, Rei, you'll make a wonderful father." With that, Rin left the lab and went back upstairs.

When he got there, Tsukiyama was still flipping out. Rin rolled his eyes. He didn't think too ill of the man but there were sometimes where he was an unbearable drama king. It's obvious he hasn't gotten any in a while. The redhead put the report on Tsukiyama's desk then went to his own. He began to work on his paperwork but then sneaked a side glance at Sousuke who stared at the phone, waiting for something to happen. Rin inaudibly sighed at his friend. He'd been like this since he came in this morning.

"Nothing's gonna happen if you keep looking at the phone. The APB went out yesterday and it might take a while."

"Shiori had a nightmare last night. I've never seen her so disturbed by anything before and I hate seeing her like that. I hate knowing that my daughter is afraid to go to sleep out of fear that she'll see that godforsaken place in her dreams. I think that the sooner Kisumi and Seijuurou are found, the sooner Shiori's peace of mind can return and things can go back to the way they were."

"It doesn't work like that."

"I know it doesn't. Even when they are found and jailed, she'll always have that fear that there's someone lurking around in the shadows."

"Are you and Makoto going to take her to a professional for an official diagnosis? It's possible she might have PTSD."

Sousuke sighed. "I dunno. Makoto and I will have to talk about that tonight." Sousuke wasn't one to skirt around issues but he knew that, mentally, there's something wrong with Shiori. He wasn't going to pretend that there was something wrong with her. He knew that he'd have to talk to Makoto about this when he got home tonight. A hand placed itself on his shoulder and Sousuke turned around to see Kagamine. He stood up and looked at her with anxiety in his eyes.

"Did you find them?"

"Not yet but we've got a few leads. Kakinomoto and I are going to follow them. I wanted to tell you to be ready to share the news with your family in case we found them."

"Thank you."

"I'm just doing my job." Kagamine said before she left with Kakinomoto. Sousuke felt his chest bubbling up with anticipation as he sat down at his desk. All he could do was lie in wait for something to happen.

* * *

**~A Few Hours Later~**

* * *

Kisumi was flipping out. He knew that someone called the cops. He saw the news report about himself and Seijuurou and hour ago. His heart was pounding a hundred miles a minute as he packed everything into his suitcase. He wasn't going to jail. He was going to leave the country and never return. He had one-way tickets to Australia, hair dye, and some color contacts. No one'd be able to recognize him or Seijuurou! Kisumi's purple eyes flashed in anger when he thought of Seijuurou and his weak ass.

That idiot just had to find his heart and take the bastard to the hospital! She talked to the damn cops and now they're after him! He was afraid that this would happen and he didn't prepare for it. He sighed and continued to pack his things. No matter. It was in the past and the past was behind him. He paused a little. He could leave Seijuurou here to rot but they started this together and they're going to end this together. Once he finished packing, he closed his suitcase and looked out the window. He never imagined a life on the run but it was better than rotting in prison.

"Kisumi, you ready?" Seijuurou asked as he came into the room. Kisumi turned around and grabbed his suitcase.

"Yea. Let's get outta here befo-"

*KNOCK KNOCK* "Police! Open up!" Kisumi gasped and grabbed the gun he kept hidden. He wasn't going down without a fight. He began to leave the room but Seijuurou grabbed his arm.

"We gotta turn ourselves in."

"No." Kisumi shook his head. "Fuck no. We're in too damn deep and we can take 'em head on." Kisumi gestured to the door. The taller of the two sighed and shook his head.

"We can't. We'll either die fighting or add more charges."

"I don't give a fuck about more charges or death! Why are you so soft now?"

"Because its useless to drag this out." A rage of anger flashed in Kisumi's eyes as he got out of Seijuurou's grasp.

"You're giving up now, too? This is the exact same shit that got us into this police mess in the first place! Because of you and your weak ass, that kid talked to the cops and now we're fucked!"

"I'm not giving up and I'm not weak. I know when enough is enough unlike you! We've been fucked since the day we followed through with this stupid plan and now we're getting what we deserve. Let's stop this." For once in this story, Kisumi stopped and thought about everything. Seijuurou was right. He'd been right all along. Kisumi dropped the gun and felt tears pricking up in his eyes. _Oh god, what the fuck did I do?!_ Kisumi thought as he dropped to the ground and cried. Seijuurou took him into his arms and held him. The front door was kicked open as heavy footsteps filled the apartment.

"Please," Kisumi whimpered, "in prison, stay by my side." The footsteps came towards the room they were in.

"I will. I promise." Seijuurou whispered back as two cops pulled them apart and handcuffed them.

Neither of them struggled. They both knew this was coming. They were in this together. As the two were being escorted out and being read their rights, there was a crowd of onlookers staring at them, judging them for what they did. Kisumi didn't pay it any mind. He knew what he did and he didn't need the judgmental stares to remind him. The duo was escorted to the car and put in haphazardly. The drive to the police station was a short one, but, to Kisumi, it was long. He felt his heart pounding heavier as they got closer to the station.

When they got there, the doors to the car opened and they were yanked out. They were escorted into the station with no problem and were greeted to the hectic sight of cops running around and criminals screaming for their mothers. It was a pathetic sight. Kisumi and Seijuurou were taken to two separate interrogation rooms. Kisumi was alone in this room and sighed heavily. This was it. He'd fucked up. As he waited patiently for a detective, he had no idea that he was being watched on the other side of the mirror.

On the other side of the mirror was Sousuke, Kagamine, Kakinomoto, the other detective assigned to this case, and a DA. Sousuke stared at his ex from the other side of the mirror. He thought he'd be happy now that he and Seijuurou were found but he didn't feel that way. Sure, they wouldn't see the light of day or have any sort of freedom for a long time but what about Shiori? She'd have some peace knowing that they were locked away but the memories were still there. He frowned and looked away from his ex.

"What happens now? Where do we go from here?"

"It depends. If we get his and Seijuurou's confessions then we just send them to maximum security before and during the court hearing where the judge will determine how long the sentence will last. If they maintain their innocence, we're looking at a lengthy court battle. If they plead guilty, it should be a walk int he park. Yamazaki, you should probably go back to work. We'll tell you if anything develops." Kakinomoto explained. Sousuke didn't say anything. He kept staring at Kisumi, his face was barren of expression. It was still hard to believe that he'd actually be capable of doing something so horrible.

"How long would it take for them to get a sentence?"

"At most, a month. Might not take that long if they plead guilty." The DA answered.

"How long would the sentence _last_?"

"It varies from 6 months to 20 years. Based on your daughter's injuries and how long they kept her, I'd say we're looking at about 11 to 15 years. Possibly more depending on which judge gets the case."

"Would you need Shiori there to testify?"

"Whatever she told Detective Kagamine yesterday should be enough. We'll let you know if we need her." Sousuke nodded and gave his ex-boyfriend one last glance before leaving without a word. Kisumi and Seijuurou were caught and, hopefully, Shiori can rest easier. He went to his car where Rin was waiting for him. For a couple months, he, Rin, and Rei had been carpooling since Sousuke was the only one with a car. Sousuke found it taxing since he'd have to use up more gas than he was used to but those two did give him gas money so it was all good. He reached his car and got in. Rin looked at him with worry showing in his eyes.

"You gonna be okay?"

"As okay as I will be. Where's Ryugazaki? He usually rides with us."

"He said he had a lot of personal stuff on his mind so he was gonna take a train home and think about it." Sousuke nodded and started his car and drove off. He looked at his friend and then back at the road.

"How are you and Nanase doing these days?"

Rin shrugged. "Better than we were eight months ago. We're trying again."

"Are you?" Sousuke asked with some skepticism. It may have been eight months since that car accident but he didn't think that they should try again just yet.

"Yea. We've been ready to try for some time now and we're finally doing it tonight."

"What's held you back?"

"Whether or not it's gonna happen again. The miscarriage devastated Haru and what if this time is like last time? What if the next one doesn't make it? The one after that? I don't think I can bear the heartbreak of knowing that that's the second one gone before he or she could even live. I don't think we could go through that kind of loss again." Sousuke nodded in slight understanding. He didn't know what it was like to suffer the loss of an unborn child but he did understand the loss of a loved one. He felt that same despair when he thought Shiori passed away. Not wanting to go through the feeling, he understood Rin and Haru's hesitation to conceive.

"Then why bother trying again if you're worried about that?"

Rin shrugged. "We decided to say fuck it and throw caution to the wind. Of course we'll be devastated if it happens again but we'll try again and again until one makes it." As he pulled up to Rin's stop, Sousuke sighed a little. He didn't want to see Rin get his hopes up only for fate to fuck him over again. He'd be damned if he watched his best friend fall apart again. It was a terrible sight the first time and Sousuke couldn't sit by and watch it happen a second time.

"I'm saying this as your friend; you guys should hold off on trying for another one. Have you guys prepared for every possibility? What if he has another miscarriage or ends up being a stillborn or - Heaven forbid - SIDS or just stops breathing while asleep? What then?"

"Are you trying to talk me out of trying for another baby with Haru?" Rin incredulously asked. His red eyes grew dark and narrowed in a nasty glare.

"No, I'm trying to say that life is full of unexpected things and you should prepare for something sudden to happen!"

"Oh yea, like I should have prepared myself to hear that my father died at sea? Or how I should have prepared myself when I found out that Haru lost Kiyoshi? Fuck you, Sousuke! Fuck you! I'm a grown man and I can make my own decisions!" The redhead yelled in anger. Who the fuck did Sousuke think he was?

"That's not what I'm saying! I'm saying life is unpredictable and anything can happen!" Sousuke yelled back.

"Coming from the guy who didn't meet his own kid until he was 24-damn-years-old! I know life is a series of unexpected events and I don't need you lecturing me about it like you're my goddamn father! What you do is your business and what I do is my business so don't you dare try to pry into mine and tell me what the fuck to do like I'm a fucking kid!" With that, Rin got out of the car and slammed the door hard. Sousuke opened his mouth to call out to his friend to apologize but he closed it. Rin was pissed off enough at him already. He shouldn't try to poke the shark. He started up the car and drove home, ready to be rid of today's stresses.

Rin ran home, trying to keep the tears from falling out of his eyes. He couldn't believe that Sousuke would say that to him. He thought he'd be happy for him, but he guessed not. Instead of some words of encouragement and a pat on the back, he was met with a lecture he didn't need to hear. He thought that Sousuke would understand. Rin choked a sob as he made it to his home. He pulled out his key and opened the door. He took off his shoes and went to their room, ignoring Haru's greeting. He didn't want Haru to see him cry.

Rin sat at the edge of their bed as the tears easily slid out of his eyes. He stared at the other side of their room. There should be a crib. In the morning and at night there should be a baby safely nestled inside, asleep. There should also be a box of baby toys and a changing table, but there isn't. His eyes shifted to the bedside table where the last ultrasound picture resides. Slowly, Rin reached his hand out to take it. soft fingers grabbed it as if it were fragile glass. He stared at the picture. He stared at the life that, unfortunately, was not meant to be. A life that was taken before it had begun. He held the picture close to his heart and cried.

"Why are you crying?" Rin looked at the door and saw Haru standing there with worry clearly displayed in his face. His blue-eyes lover was only wearing his underwear and one of his sweatshirts which looked a little too big on him. Rin wiped his eyes and put the picture back on the bedside table.

"I wasn't crying."

"You were. Over the last ultrasound photo." Haru walked in front of Rin then straddled his lap. Rin wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and whimpered.

"What if it happens again? What if we lose another one?"

"We won't and even if we do, we'll keep trying until one lives. Rin, what's going on? Why are you hesitating all of a sudden?" Rin sighed and pressed his head against Haru's shoulder.

"Sousuke and I were talking earlier and he reminded me of everything that could happen to the baby. I thought of how devastated you were when you lost Kiyoshi and it hurt to see you like that. I don't wanna see you go through that pain again." Haru rolled his eyes. Of course that asshole would say something. He took two fingers and tilted Rin's head up by his chin. Red eyes met blue eyes. The couple stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity until Haru brought their lips together in a slow kiss. Rin kissed back and tangled a hand in Haru's hair while keeping on hand on his hip. Haru broke the kiss and slightly panted. He blushed a little when he felt Rin starting to pitch a tent.

"Someone got a little happy from just one kiss."

Rin chuckled and laid Haru down on their bed. "Those lips of yours get me every time. I love you a lot and I just don't want to see you hurting again."

"Life is full of pain. With you by my side, I won't be hurt for long. Now are we gonna have sex or am I gonna have to use the dildo to get off?"

A lustful growl escaped Rin as he began to kiss Haru's neck. He licked and sucked wherever he had the best access to flesh. Haru moaned and tilted his head to the side as he tangled his hand in his boyfriend's hair. He felt himself growing harder with each graze of Rin's teeth. One of Rin's hands found its way up Haru's shirt and played with his nipple as he kissed his neck. Haru only continued to moan and melt under his lover's touches. Rin sank his sharp teeth into Haru's flesh, leaving a mark. Haru moaned louder when he felt shark-like teeth sink into his skin.

"Ah. . . Rin! You have no idea what that does to me~"

A low chuckled escaped Rin as he used his other hand to grip the front of Haru's underwear. "Oh I know what it does." Haru moaned and bucked his hips up into Rin's hand.

"P-please!"

"Please what, Haru-chan? You have to be specific~" Normally Haru would tell Rin to cut it with the "-chan" but he was too horny to give a fuck.

"Make a baby with me!"

Rin was slightly taken aback by Haru's choice of words. For as long as they'd known each other, Haru was known to be straightforward; Rin knew that much. It shouldn't surprise him that Haru would say such a thing but it did. He was so passionate, so needy. A smile etched itself on Rin's face as he gently caressed his boyfriend's face. Blue eyes fluttered closed as Haru nuzzled into Rin's hand. Rin couldn't help but laugh a little. Haru was just too cute sometimes! He removed his hand and went to the task at hand; removing these damn clothes. He leaned next to Haru's ear and licked the shell.

"What do you say we get out of these clothes?" Haru nodded and shed himself of the sweatshirt and underwear while Rin got out of his uniform.

Once they were both naked, Rin spread Haru's legs and began to kiss every inch of his boyfriend's lower half, except for his cock. He tenderly kissed Haru's hips and smirked with delight as the man beneath him tried to get him to give some attention to his weeping cock. Rin only pressed a feather-light kiss to the tip and moved down to Haru's thighs. Haru moaned Rin's name as he bit and sucked at the flesh. Haru's cock began to leak pre-cum. He did love every moment when Rin went slow but now wasn't one of those times. He sat up and pulled Rin's head away from his thighs.

"Please, Rin," Haru started, "Fuck me. I need you so bad."

Rin growled as he pinned Haru against the wall and positioned himself against Haru's entrance. Haru wrapped his legs around Rin's waist and slowly slid himself down on Rin's cock. Rin started slow, thrusting only so that Haru could get used to it. They hadn't done this in a while after all. Once Haru was adjusted, Rin began to thrust harder. Haru had one hand tangled in Rin's hair and the other scratching up Rin's back. With each thrust, Haru was moaning Rin's name so loud that the neighborhood could probably hear it. He tilted his head back in pure ecstasy. This was Heaven to him.

Rin's thrusts became harder and faster with his balls slapping against Haru. The only sounds in the room were of skin slapping skin and various moans and pants. Rin was nearing his limit and they both knew it. Without saying a word to each other, Rin thrust faster into Haru, hitting the other male's prostate dead on every time. Haru screamed every time his prostate was hit. He scratched Rin's back hard enough to draw blood from him. Within a few minutes, Haru finally came all over his and Rin's stomachs. Rin thrust deeper into Haru as he neared his climax.

"Haru! I'm close!" With a few more thrusts, Rin came inside of Haru. The couple panted and looked at each other. They stared for a few moments before kissing. Rin gathered Haru in his arms and brought him down to the mattress, all the while still inside him. They eventually broke the kiss and stared at each other lovingly.

"Should I pull out?" Rin asked.

"Not yet. I enjoy your company and I love having you inside of me." Rin chuckled and yawned a little. He held Haru close and the two of them remained silent as they inevitably fell asleep.

* * *

Rei made it to his apartment door and hesitated. This was the moment that gave him all of the anxiety in the world. He had no reason to be nervous. It was just Nagisa. Fun, bubbly Nagisa who is probably sitting on the couch just as anxious as he was at this moment. Rei stopped his hand from shaking and took a deep breath. All he had to do was act normal, wait for Nagisa to say that he was pregnant. He took out his key and opened the door.

"I'm home!" He called as he took his shoes off and entered their home. Nagisa came running out from the kitchen clad in a loose-fitting shirt, a pair of leggings, and an apron. Rei smiled and hugged Nagisa and gave him a kiss. Nagisa leaned up into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Rei's neck. After a moment, the two broke apart.

"How was work?"

"Oh, you know, working with the dead, analyzing bullets, searching things through the database. The usual. You?"

Nagisa licked his lips a little. "I, uh, got something to tell you."

"What is it?" Rei asked, pretending not to know what Nagisa had to tell him. Nagisa led him to the couch and they sat down. The blond took his lover's hand into his and held it. Pink eyes looked into purple with fear and shame shining in them.

"Rei-chan, the night I went to the club, I didn't pass out there. I met a man there and we were so smashed that we ended up at his place and we had unprotected sex. Yesterday I found out that I'm pregnant with his baby. I'm a month along."

Rei pretended that he didn't know. He was silent. He didn't move a muscle as he stared at Nagisa, his beautiful Nagisa. Looking at him almost made Rei want to cry. Nagisa was looking at him, waiting for a response, any response. When Rei deemed it appropriate to answer he said, "Do you at least know who he is?"

Nagisa shook his head and sniffled. "I don't know him at all and I have no way of contacting him. I'm so sorry that it's not your baby, Rei-chan! I love you so much and I can't raise this baby by myself! I'll do anything for you to stay! I know it's a lot to ask but please don't go! Please!"

The blue-haired male pretended to think for a moment. "Do you intend to keep the baby?" Nagisa put his hands on his stomach in fear. Tears slid out of his eyes as he nodded.

"I do. Please don't ask me to get an abortion. I know I said anything but I can't do that! I can't take this baby's life!"

"No! I wasn't going to ask that!" Even if Rei were pissed about the baby not being his, he could never ask Nagisa to get an abortion! The very thought sickened him.

"Then what were you going to say?"

"Something I've been meaning to ask you for a long time." Rei said as he got down on one knee and pulled out a velvet box. He opened it to reveal a silver ring with a diamond on top. Nagisa gasped and covered his mouth. He didn't know what to say. "Nagisa," Rei started, "I love you and I want you to know that I'll always be there for you through thick and thin. I know we haven't been in the best shape for a while now but I still love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me and allow me to be the father of your child?"

Words escaped Nagisa as he nodded and gave Rei his left hand. Rei slipped the ring on his ring finger and crashed his lips against Nagisa's lips. The two stayed like that for a moment before breaking away. The couple looked at each other with the love they held showing in their eyes. Rei cupped Nagisa's cheek and smiled. Nagisa nuzzled his face in Rei's hand and kissed the palm of his hand.

"I love you, Rei-chan."

"I love you, too, Nagisa. I'm sorry for the fights we've been having lately."

Nagisa laughed quietly. "Don't worry about it; I'm pretty sure our little bun's settled the argument." Rei smiled and placed a hand where their child was growing.

"Yea. I'll defend you against any attack. Have you been thinking of names?"

"Back in high school, I picked out a two names for my first child. If we have a boy, I want to name him Mizuki. If we have a girl, I want to name her Kyo."

"Mizuki and Kyo..." Rei tested the names. "I like them." Nagisa kissed Rei's cheek and got up from the couch to go to the kitchen where he was still chopping up vegetables while the rice was cooking and the chicken was in the air fryer. Rei followed Nagisa into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around his fiancee's waist. Nagisa smiled and leaned back into Rei's chest. "Dinner smells good." Rei lovingly whispered.

"It's just some fried chicken, rice and chopped vegetables. Nothing special. Could you set the table for me? I'm gonna be done in ten minutes." Rei nodded and started to set the table.

Nagisa smiled as he continued to chop vegetables. He thought Rei would have blown up at him or walked out on him. But he didn't. He stayed and he proposed! Rei was going to be a wonderful husband to him and a great father to his baby. Nagisa looked at the ring on his finger. They were practically already a married couple, all they needed to do was make it official. Nagisa rubbed his stomach as he thought of family life.

He and Rei waking up next to each other. Good morning kisses. The baby waking up and crying for a feeding or a changing. Cooking breakfast for his family. Rei giving him a kiss goodbye before he leaves for work. Playing with the baby all day and taking care of their home. Rei coming home from an exhausting day at work. All three of them sitting down to a delicious dinner. Rei making silly faces to the baby during bath time. Rocking the baby until he or she falls asleep. Going to bed and falling asleep in Rei's arms. _We'll be a happy family. I can't wait..._ Nagisa thought with a dreamy smile on his face.

"What are you thinking about? You've got that smile." Rei asked. Nagisa snapped out of his little daydream and blushed a little.

"The three of us as a family. I just imagined you making silly faces to the baby. Who should we tell first?" Nagisa asked as he started putting their dinner on the table. Rei licked his lips. His parents were gonna try like hell to get him to break up with Nagisa and there's no telling how Nagisa's parents would react.

"Let's tell our friends first. We're gonna need some time before we tell our families." Nagisa nodded and took off his apron.

"Whatever happens with our families, you'll still be there for me and the baby, right?"

"I will. I promise." Nagisa smiled and sat down at the table. "I'll hold you up to that. Now, let's eat!"

"Let's eat!" The two ate their dinner in a comfortable silence. Rei smiled as he said his dinner. Nagisa was always such a good cook!

"Mmm~! This food is delicious!"

Nagisa blushed and nervously laughed. "It's just something I threw together, nothing special."

"It is, Nagisa! I think the baby's gonna love your cooking as much as I do, possibly even more." Nagisa smiled and continued to eat. After a short while, they ate all of the food and did the dishes together. Nagisa washed the dishes while Rei dried them. The couple washed the dishes in silence until Nagisa looked at Rei. He was taking this kind of well. he thought Rei would at least yell at him or walk out on him or make him pack his things and leave. He finished washing the last of the dishes and looked at Rei.

"Nee, Rei-chan. You're taking this well. I thought you'd at least yell a little."

"Oh, that. You should be careful when you've got your phone in your back pocket. You might butt dial someone." Nagisa raised an eyebrow and pulled out his phone to check it. He went into his call log and saw that he'd accidentally called Rei this morning. Nagisa blushed a little in embarrassment. He looked at Rei who was still drying dishes. The blond shrugged and put his phone away.

"It was probably better that I butt dialed anyways. I'm getting tired. Let's go to bed." Rei nodded and finished up the dishes before following Nagisa to their bedroom.

When he got there he got out of his lab coat and suit and into a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. Nagisa stripped down to his underwear and put on one of his over-sized sweatshirts. They got in the bed and cuddled next to each other with Nagisa laying on Rei's chest. Rei ran a hand through Nagisa's hair absentmindedly as he thought about their future and where they go from here. He thought about how his parents would react to this. His parents would try talking him out of raising Nagisa's child and out of being with Nagisa. He sighed and looked at Nagisa as he slept.

Nagisa was going to get so much backlash from his family, he could tell that much. Getting pregnant from a one-night stand and then raising the baby with his boyfriend. That conversation's gonna go over real well. Nagisa was going to need as much help as he could get and a hell of a lot of support. Rei put a hand on Nagisa's flat stomach and rubbed it a little. In eight months he will be a father. In eight months, he will be holding a baby in his arms. In eight moths, he will have a child that he would responsible for. The thought started to scare him. The most contact he's ever had with a baby was with Shiori and his nephew. He wondered how he'd fair as a father. Everyone says that he'd make a wonderful father but would he?

Due to his demeanor and personality, people have said that he'd make a wonderful father. Rei just smiled and said thank you but when he was alone in the silence he would wonder if that'd be true. What if he did something to screw up the child or if he was unsuccessful in teaching the child right from wrong? A sigh escaped from his lips as he kissed Nagisa's forehead. Nagisa had a lot of faith in him to be a father to his child. He couldn't screw up. At least not with Nagisa by his side. He closed his eyes and began to fall asleep with Nagisa in his arms and hopes for the future as good as they could be.

* * *

"No! I don't wanna get in the bath!" Shiori screamed as she escaped from the bathroom to the safety of her bedroom. Makoto sighed. He'd been trying to get Shiori into the bath for an hour but she wasn't having any of it. While it was typical for a child her age to refuse bath time, Shiori was petrified of it. Makoto frowned. Though he assured Shiori that she wouldn't drown and that he wouldn't drown her, she still didn't get in the tub.

"She didn't get in the bath?" A voice asked behind him. Makoto turned around to see Sousuke standing in the doorway. Makoto shook his head and stripped himself of his clothes. He wasn't gonna be the one to waste water. Makoto got in the tub and settled in the water. Sousuke knelt by the side of the tub, took the loofah, and began to wash Makoto's back.

"Earlier today I was thinking that Shiori may have PTSD. Of course, we won't know until we take her to see a professional for a proper diagnosis but we should get her help." Makoto nodded in agreement.

"I agree. She's showing the signs. Avoiding things that remind her of that place, nightmares, flashbacks, feeling numb, hopelessness, she lost interest in drawing, trouble sleeping, being easiy frightened, I'm pretty sure she's developed anxiety, in the market today she was on guard for any and all danger, and I caught her trying to steal a knife from the kitchen. I'm so worried about her."

"I'm worried about her too. We'll start looking for a doctor tomorrow."

"Perfect. By the way, what did you say to Rin?"

"Huh?"

"Haru and I were on the phone before you came home. He hung up when Rin came home because he could hear him crying in their bedroom from the main room. Do you know anything?" Sousuke didn't say a word. He knew that Rin was upset by what he said earlier but he didn't think he was upset enough to cry. Makoto frowned at him. "Sousuke, what happened? What did you say?"

"I tried to tell him to hold off on conceiving with Haru until they're prepared for something bad to happen to their baby again. He took it as me trying to talk him out of it and we yelled at each other and he stormed out of the car. I tried to call out to him to apologize but he was mad already and I wanted him to calm down before we talked again." Makoto groaned in annoyance as he smacked Sousuke upside the head. Sousue grimaced in pain as he clutched the back of his head. "What was that for?!"

"For being a jerk to Rin! Look, I know it's only been eight months but if they want to move on from losing Kiyoshi then they need to conceive. Rin only told you that to make sure he had your support because lord knows how much they'll need it. When I was pregnant with Shiori, they supported me and even after she was born they still supported me. The point is, they're our friends and we have to support them in whatever decision they make, even if we think it's a bad one."

"What if something bad happens to the baby worse than the miscarriage?"

"Then we'll comfort them like we did when they lost Kiyoshi. You have to apologize to him first chance you get."

"I will. I'm gonna go to bed." Sousuke said as he kissed Makoto's cheek and went to their bedroom.

He changed out of his uniform and into a pair of sweatpants with a t-shirt. He climbed into bed and began to think about Rin. He was being too harsh on him. After all, Rin was there for him when they thought Shiori had passed away so it was only natural for him to be there for Rin when he and his boyfriend were trying for another baby. Sousuke felt like a dick. Rin was always there for him and now that Rin needed him to do the same, he's just abandoning him. He grabbed his phone and dialed Rin's number. He had to make this right. After a few rings, the phone went to voicemail.

Sousuke tried to call two more times and two more times, Rin didn't answer his phone. He was probably still mad. Sousuke couldn't blame him. If it were the other way around, he'd be pissed too. He put his phone down and decided to try him again in the morning. Makoto got into bed next to him wearing his underwear and one of his shirts. Sousuke turned over on his side and spooned Makoto from behind. He pressed his nose against Makoto's neck and inhaled his scent.

"You smell good."

Makoto laughed. "That's all you could come up with?"

"What did you want me to say? You look very sexy in those undies and that shirt?" Sousuke asked as he ran his hands up Makoto's leg and up his shirt. Makoto blushed.

"More like 'good night' or 'I love you.'"

"I do love you. To the moon and back."

"I love you, too, Sousuke. More than you'll ever know. Good night." Makoto whispered lovingly as he snuggled into Sousuke's arms and closed his eyes.

Sousuke gave Makoto a kiss on the cheek then got out of bed to check on Shiori. Poor thing might still be awake. When he made it to the door, he opened it to see the light was still on and Shiori was awake and rocking hersef back and forth with her knees drawn up to her chest. The dark circles under her eyes were darker and her face looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Ken was awake too, sitting net to her and rubbing his head against her arm. Sousuke sighed and sat on the bed.

"Shiori? Are you okay?"

"Can't go to sleep, Papa. I'll see the basement if I do."

"I know you're afraid but it's not healthy to keep yourself awake like this." Shiori frowned as her eyes began to well with tears. Sousuke smiled a little. "I can sing you to sleep again. You fell asleep last night."

"Okay." Shiori said as she got under the covers and held Kuma-kun in her arms.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away. The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping I dreamt I held you in my arms. When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken. So I hung my head, and cried. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." Sousuke sang. Shiori fell asleep easily. Sousuke tucked her in and turned the light off. Before he left the room, he kissed her forehead and signaled for Ken to keep watch over Shiori tonight. He gently closed the door and went back to his room and slipped in next to Makoto. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit in a barrel this chapter ran long! I'm actually quite proud of myself for once. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Anyways, I know it's a little too early to talk about this, especially since the story isn't over yet, but, if I made a sequel, would anyone read it? I've already got a couple ideas of what the sequel will be about and as we speak I'm writing out the few ideas I have. I'm still debating on whether or not I'll actually do a sequel. I'm still 50/50 on the whole idea. I'll see how I feel after the last chapter. Well, this ran long. See you guys in chapter 21!


	21. Happy Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto tells the story of the day Shiori was born

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope ya'll don't mind the name change but Grell_Sutcliff just wasn't working for me anymore so I changed it to something a little more suitable for me. With that outta they way, onto the main reason behind this note!  
> About last chapter's ending note, it seems that you guys would love for there to be a sequel and it would be a crime for me not to write it. Sometime after chapter 26, I'll post the first chapter of the next story. I'm still in the process of writing it and I have no idea what it'll be called; I'll probably come up with something when i'm finished with it. As far as the length of it goes, I have panned for it to be 36 chapters long. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter~

"Did you have a good day, Shiori?" Makoto asked as he tucked Shiori into bed.

Today was Shiori's birthday so he and Sousuke planned a trip to the aquarium with a birthday party later that night. To say Shiori enjoyed herself would be an understatement; she absolutely enjoyed herself today. She wouldn't shut up about the aquarium after they left and none of that excitement died at her party. For her birthday cake, Sousuke's parents specially ordered a chocolate cake from a bakery in Tokyo with chocolate icing with her picture in the middle between the words happy birthday. Their reasoning behind it was that Shiori is their granddaughter and like any good grandparents, they had to spoil the hell out of her. Rin and Haru reenacted a scene from Sailor Moon since it is her favorite show. Shiori smiled when she thought about today and held Kuma-kun close to her chest.

"Yea. Today was a really good day! Especially with the aquarium and Uncle RinRin and Haru-chan doing Sailor Moon!" Shiori giggled.

"I knew you loved that. I could see it in your eyes. Now get some sleep, honey." Makoto kissed his daughter's forehead and began to leave when Shiori tugged his shirt.

"Wait! Can you tell me a story?"

Makoto raised his eyebrows and sat down. "What kind of story would you like to hear?"

"The day I was born."

"You sure, sweetie?"

Shiori nodded enthusiastically and gave her mother the puppy dog eyes. "I'm sure, Mama! Tell me the story, please."

"Aright, I'll tell you the story. Six years ago today. I was sitting on the couch in our old home with Haru-chan . . .

* * *

~Six Years Ago~

* * *

Makoto was at his family home sitting on the couch with Haru. His parents and the twins were visiting some family they had in Osaka but Makoto couldn't go since the doctor put him on bed rest until the baby was born. It was January 15th and the baby was due any day now. Heck, the baby was a week late but the doctor said not to worry, that happened sometimes but if he wanted to, he could induce labor himself. All he's eaten for the day was spicy food since Haru was here to make it for him. As Makoto ate his lunch, Haru looked at him with his face crinkled in disgust.

"How can you eat all that spicy food? Aren't your taste-buds fried?"

"I can barely taste the spice but the baby might. This is really good, Haru."

"Thanks. You owe me a bottle of hot sauce."

Makoto faked a look of innocence, "Is knowing that my baby's gonna be happy and healthy enough payment for you?" Haru rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Fine. Did you try anything else besides this?"

"I tried walking up and down the stairs with my dad helping me but I nearly fell and we didn't wanna risk something happening to the baby." Haru nodded in understanding. Makoto was carrying precious cargo and he had to do everything in his control to make sure noting happened to the baby. Haru pulled his knees up to his chest and brooded a little.

"It still pisses me off that Yamazaki's not here for you."

Makoto sighed and put his food down. "Don't start. Not today. The baby and I are gonna be just fine without Sousuke! He made his decision to get out of my life a long time ago. If I do tell him, he'll want to be with me again out of pity and he'll help me raise the baby out of guilt that he left me before he knew he knocked me up and we don't need his pity or his guilt. Ah!" Makoto felt a sharp pain. This was worse than the pain he's been experiencing for the last couple weeks now. He rubbed his stomach as he did the breathing exercises his mother taught him. Haru looked at his friend with concern.

"Are you alright, Makoto?"

"I-it's fine! Just another false contraction!" Makoto said as he tried to remain as calm as possible. Haru grabbed the pregnancy book from the book shelf because there's no way on earth this was a false contraction. He flipped to the last chapter in the book that talked about labor while Makoto breathed in and out. Blue eyes quickly scanned the pages and read what sounded familiar to him. Once he finished reading it, he closed the book and got off the couch.

"I think the spicy food worked, you're in labor!"

"Well get me to a hospital, dammit!" Makoto cried in pain. Haru nodded and pulled out his phone to call an ambulance to take them to a hospital. This was it. Today was the day Makoto would have his baby. After nine months of torture, he'd finally have his baby in his arms.

It took an hour for the ambulance to arrive and whisk Makoto away to the hospital. On the ride there, Makoto tightly squeezed Haru's hand every time he felt a contraction. The baby wanted out and wanted out now. Makoto rubbed his stomach in an attempt to calm his baby but it wasn't working. Tears slid out of his eyes as he felt every contraction, every shooting pain he felt in his back. Now he knew ow his mother felt when giving birth to him. He shuddered to think of the pain she was in when she had the twins.

They arrived at the hospital and Makoto was rushed to a hospital room . His doctor checked him and said that he was only four centimeters dilated so it'd be best if they waited an hour to see if there were any changes. Makoto only huffed and groaned in pain. Damn doctor! He knew he was ready to give this baby life! Makoto frowned and stared up at the white ceiling, wishing that this pain would go away. Haru came in the room and stood next to his best friend and held his hand.

"How are you doing?"

"In pain. Ugh! Why did I ever let Sousuke near me without protection?!"

Haru smiled at him and pushed back some of his sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes. "You'll be fine. Soon you'll have your baby in your arms and you two will be a happy little family."

Makoto smiled as he steadily breathed through another contraction. A baby. Soon the baby would be born and soon they would be a family. Soon he would hold the flesh of his soul and proof of the love he still held for Sousuke. Another sharp contraction ripped through Makoto as he thought about the baby's father. Makoto was almost sad that Sousuke wasn't here for him to hold his hand and whisper repeated words of comfort into his ear. He wanted Sousuke here but the hurt he felt from that wretched day always came back to haunt him. Makoto groaned in pain again as he felt another one worse than the last. The doctor came back into the room to check on Makoto's progress.

"Alright, Makoto, it looks like you're dilated enough. I can see the baby's head. Would your friend like to see?" Haru shrugged and went to the other end of the bed to take a peek.

What happened next is something Makoto swore he would never tell another human being for as ong as he lived. Upon seeing the baby's head slowly coming out, Haru's forehead got dark and turned blue as he fainted like a crazed fan meeting his or her favorite actor. Makoto had to roll his eyes at that. Out of all his friends, it had to be Haru who fainted at something like this! After fainting, Haru had to be carried out of the room until he came to. Makoto had to give birth alone with no one to help him. The doctor was at the end of the bed with the nurse hovering over him.

"When I say push, you have to push, alright?" Makoto nodded and started to do the breathing exercises his mother taught him.

With each passing second, he got a little closer to giving his baby life. His flesh and blood. The child he'd take care of. The little human that would carry his blood every day from the moment of birth to the moment of death. For now, the baby's head was difficult to get out. No matter how hard he pushed, the head would only come out little by little. Makoto didn't want to do this anymore. He didn't want to go through this pain anymore! It hurt so bad!

"I need you to push." The doctor said as he firmly held the baby's head. Makoto shook his head as he cried.

"I can't! It hurts too much!"

"Makoto, I know it hurts like hell but you've gotta push through it! Think of your baby, think of those little moments you two will have together." Makoto panted and thought of his baby. He thought of the laughter and smiles they'd share, the tears and hard times they'd endure. The moments in between where he'd watch his baby grow into a wonderful adult. He had to do this. He had to do this for his baby. He panted before giving one last push with a loud cry and when he did, he felt something entirely slide out of his body and heard a booming cry fill the room.

"It's a girl!"

A smile appeared on Makoto's face as he panted heavily and laid back as he heard his baby's cries. Finally. After nine months of hell, his baby was finally here. When the nurse got done with cleaning off the baby, Makoto got to hold her. She definitely came out looking like her father. He could see it in her face. Whose to say that she probably also has Sousuke's eyes? The baby cuddled into her mother as she slept. Makoto smiled at her. She was so adorable. Just like her father. A small frown came on his face when he thought of Sousuke. He wished Sousuke was here with him. Over the nine months, he had been contemplating calling Sousuke and telling him but when he picked up the phone, he immediately put it back down. He thought of the day Sousuke broke his heart and it always stopped him. Sousuke left his heart shattered and Makoto didn't want to put himself through the heartache of keeping his feelings for Sousuke in check while raising their child.

"Makoto?" He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Haru. He smiled when he saw Haru slowly coming close.

"She looks like him..." Haru said with a slight frown.

"I know. Hopefully she won't be a heartbreaker like him."

"He'll find out about her, even if Rin doesn't tell him." Makoto sighed. That was the downside to not telling Sousuke. He would find out on his own later and demand to come into her life. He could see it now and he could hear the argument they'd have. The words being spit out like poison, the tears that would follow, the forced apology.  Makoto lightly stroked her cheek with his finger. He didn't want to think about it now. Haru cleared his throat a little and Makoto looked up at him.

"Yes Haru?"

"Can I... hold her?"

"Of course but watch her head." Makoto softly warned as he gently handed her off to Haru. She was asleep for a few sweet minutes of quiet but the moment she opened her eyes and looked at Haru, she began to whimper which quickly turned into crying. Haru's eyes widened as he looked from the baby to Makoto.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, I think she may be hungry, hand her back over here." Haru gave the crying baby to her mother. Makoto began to shush her as he slid his hospital gown off his shoulder and guided her to his nipple. She latched on like velcro to hair and began to breastfeed. Makoto smiled as he watched her eat. Haru watched then smiled a little.

"So, what are you going to name her?"

"Yamazaki Shiori." Haru looked at him in disbelief, coming dangerously close to asking Makoto if he were still under the influence of some drugs. Makoto caught the look and sighed, "Don't look at me like I'm crazy. I'm well aware they have the same initials..." Shiori finished breastfeeding and Makoto burped her then gently rocked her to sleep. Haru sighed and pet his best friend's head.

"You're still in love with Yamazaki, aren't you?" Makoto was caught off guard by that question. One part of him still loved Sousuke but the other part of him hated Sousuke. He couldn't forgive Sousuke for lying to him and using him for sexual pleasure but he couldn't fully hate him because out of their little tryst came something wonderful and Makoto still deeply cared about him.

Makoto sighed, "I don't know. Part of me does but part of me doesn't." Haru nodded in understanding.

"Have you decided who's going to be Shiori's godparent?"

"I thought maybe you would."

"Me?"

"Yes. You're my best friend and I completely trust you. Would you be my baby's godfather?"

Haru smiled, "Of course." He stretched and checked the clock. "I have to go now, Rin's waiting for me at home. See you later." With that, Haru left. Makoto was alone in the room with Shiori. He brought her head up to his lips as he gently kissed her forehead.

"I'll take care of you as best I can, I promise." He whispered. Sousuke might not be there but Makoto is going to do his best to be a good parent to his daughter.

* * *

By the time Makoto was done with the story, Shiori was asleep. He kissed her forehead as he pulled the covers up on her more before he left her room. When he left, Sousuke met him in the hallway, having listened to him tell the story of their daughter's birth. The slightly taller man smiled at him and put and arm around his shoulder and escorted him to their bedroom like a gentleman. The two walked to the room and got in bed. They faced each other with green and teal looking at each other. Sousuke smiled at him and kissed his nose.

"That was quite a story. You ate spicy food? I thought you hated it."

"I do but if it got Shiori out of my womb, I was prepared to lose my taste-buds which I am still surprised I have."

Sousuke laughed then licked his lips. "You know, my one regret is hurting you the way I did and letting you go. I should have been there for you for those nine months and to take responsibility for Shiori."

"Don't be hard on yourself. You're here for me now and you're taking responsibility for Shiori. That's all I need." Makoto put his hand on Sousuke's cheek and caressed it. "Shiori and I love you. Never forget that."

"I love you, too. By the way, why did you give Shiori my last name? I thought it would have been Tachibana instead of Yamazaki."

Makoto shrugged. "Back then I thought that Shiori would never get to meet you so I figured that I should give her a piece of her father to carry with her throughout her life without her knowing it. She never once asked me about it. She just accepted it as fact and never questioned it. *laughs* I guess I made a good call in giving her your last name. When we decide to get married, I won't have to change Shiori's last name." Sousuke laughed and wrapped his arms around Makoto.

"I don't know what I did to deserve an angel like you."

"You fell for me. Now shush up, I'm tired."

"Will do, love you." Sousuke whispered as he kissed Makoto's temple.

Within a few minutes, Makoto fell asleep with Sousuke watching him. Sousuke greatly admired Makoto. For the first five years of their daughter's life, he raised her by himself and held a job at a coffee shop to support the both of them. He gave up so much for her, sacrificed a chance at a good future for her, did whatever he could to make sure Shiori was happy and healthy. Knowing all of that, one would be a fool not to admire Makoto. Sousuke held Makoto closer as he closed his eyes and began to fall asleep. He loved his family so much and he wanted to see them as happy as can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it was a short chapter, I tried to write something longer than this but I couldn't write the chapter the way I envisioned it so I hope this was good enough! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed despite the length! See you in the next chapter!


	22. Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think the title of the chapter is a bit self-explanatory, don't you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've just noticed we're getting close to the end of the story, just four more chapters to go! AAAAHHHHHH! So much excitement! Remember when I said that the sequel would last 36 chapters? I extended it to 40 chapters. Anyways, here's chapter 22! Enjoy~ ^_^  
> (P.S. please disregard the awkward courtroom scene, I'm not good with courtroom scenes)

One week later Shiori sat in the waiting room of a psychiatrist's office feeling anxious. Her parents decided to send her to a psychiatrist because of her recent outbursts. Mama assured her not to be scared and that the psychiatrist would help her but Shiori still had her fears. She rocked back and forth in her chair, looking around the room. It was a bit crowded with many people here seeking help for whatever is mentally wrong with them.

They were all staring everywhere in the room. Some stared at their phones or tablets, others stared at the wall or at the floor. Shiori silently wondered why they were here. Were they having nightmares like she was? Were they as scared as she was? Were they feeling as sad and broken as she feels? She didn't know the answers, all she had was her imagination and whatever little story she could make up for everyone in the room.

She looked at her mother who was reading one of those magazines they kept out for the patients to keep them entertained as they waited. His face was deeply concentrated in the article he was reading It was a recipe for something. His brow was furrowed in concentration and his green eyes were carefully scanning the words. Shiori looked at her father and saw that he had his eyes on his phone, playing some game. Papa was concentrated on what he was playing. Shiori watched the way his fingers glided across the screen and watched everything that was happening on the screen. Sousuke noticed her staring and smiled at her.

"Wanna play?" Sousuke whispered as he gestured his phone towards Shiori. The girl shook her head and continued to watch her father play. Sousuke played the game until Shiori was finally called to see the psychiatrist. Shiori walked into the room with her parents following behind her. When they made it to the office, it was white all around with a bookshelf and a desk with the psychiatrist sitting behind it. Shiori sat on the black couch right in between her parents. The psychiatrist smiled and sat across the family.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you all. I'm Dr. Nagata. Shiori, how are you doing today?" Shiori didn't say a word. She just shrugged. She didn't want to be here in this place. Makoto nudged her a little.

"Shiori, someone asked you a question."

"It's quite alright Tachibana-san; I had the feeling your daughter would be a little uncooperative with me today. I find that people, mainly minors, are not very talkative when talking with a psychiatrist for the first time. So, I understand you're here for a PTSD diagnosis?"

"Yes. Almost eight months ago Shiori was kidnapped and when she was found she went into a coma for two months. Some time after she woke up a psychologist at the hospital she was staying in talked with her and told us that she had some psychological scarring that could lead to PTSD. He said that if any symptoms popped up we should take her somewhere for an official diagnosis."

"Was Shiori referred by a friend, family member, or your insurance company?"

"We didn't know where to start looking so we called the insurance company."

"Ah, lots of people have found me through their insurance companies. What sparked the need for you to bring Shiori here?"

"It was within the first few days after we brought her home. We noticed the symptoms and we thought that with some time to readjust to familiar surroundings, her symptoms would become less frequent and they'd eventually disappear. She's only been home for a month and her symptoms haven't gotten any better and those days when she looks like herself are slowly becoming rare. We just want to know what's going on with her so we can get her whatever help she needs." Dr. Nagata nodded and wrote down what Makoto said.

"Has Shiori ever reenacted the traumatic event or any bits and pieces of it she might remember through play?"

"Whenever she feels like drawing she draws something disturbing like a knife with blood on it or a bathtub with someone drowning in it. And there was this one time she was playing with her dolls and she just started to yell abusive things and she smashed them together as if one was hitting the other."

"Has Shiori ever had nightmares about what she went through?"

"She does have nightmares. Every night she wakes up screaming and it takes a while for us to wake her up and remind her that she's back at home." The psychiatrist nodded as she looked at Shiori and smiled at her.

"Shiori, I'm going to ask you some questions. If I ask anything that you don't want to answer, just say 'pass.' Understand?" Shiori nodded and stared at Dr. Nagata with hollow eyes. "Alright. Have you ever experienced or witnessed an event that was life-threatening to you or someone else?"

"I was kept in a cage in an icky basement for five months. Every day I was beaten, cut, fed bugs and bad food, locked in a closet with loud music, drowned, and starved. A nurse at a hospital told me I almost died."

"Do you often have disturbing thoughts such as memories or nightmares of the trauma you went through?"

"Every night. I can't go to sleep without seeing the basement so I stay up and if I do go to sleep it's because Papa sings me to sleep."

"Oh, that's not very healthy for a little girl your age. You should be getting at least eight hours a night. Do you ever feel as if you are reliving the traumatic event through flashbacks or hallucinations?" Shiori only nodded which the doctor took that as an answer and wrote it down in the notepad. "Do you avoid certain people, places, or situations that remind you of the trauma you went through?"

"I haven't taken a bath in a while because I'm afraid to get in the water. Mama just puts deodorant and perfume on me. I can't go in dark places, I really hate bugs, and I don't like going outside anymore."

"Have you lost interest in anything or felt numb?"

"I feel numb and I don't like drawing anymore and I feel bad about it because my baa-chan and jii-chan got me a paint set for my birthday."

"Do you feel irritable or angry?"

"No. I just feel sad."

"Have you ever thought of harming yourself or others?"

"One time I tried to take a knife out of the kitchen but Mama caught me and put me in time-out for it."

"Why did you try taking a knife out of the kitchen?"

"Pass." Shiori said in an instant. She didn't wanna talk about the knife incident. Not yet anyways. Dr. Nagata didn't press on the matter of the knife and looked at the child's parents.

"In my best professional opinion, your daughter definitely has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She meets the criteria for it and she answered yes to most of my questions. If you want, I can pass on your daughter's case to a colleague of mine because the type of therapy Shiori will need is something I cannot give her." Makoto and Sousuke looked at each other then at Shiori. They had to do what was best for their child. Sousuke held Makoto's hand and nodded.

"We would like that but what about medication? Will she need any?" Sousuke asked.

"If your daughter was in her teens I would prescribe something but given the fact that Shiori is only six, I don't want to make the decision because she's so young and the medication I'm thinking of prescribing her shouldn't be taken by anyone under eighteen. For now regular visits with a psychotherapist should help her, I will get that set up as soon as possible. Should her symptoms worsen I'll prescribe something for her but it would be the lowest prescription I am legally allowed to give a minor. Now, for future reference, I need to know if there is a family history of. . ."

Shiori tuned everything out and stared into nothing. She didn't wanna be here. She didn't wanna come to therapy. She was just fine! What did some stranger know?! Soon the visit ended and the family drove home in silence. All Shiori could think about was how often she'd have to go to that office. On the car ride home she was as silent as ever. Her parents tried to talk to her but she didn't want to respond to anything they had to say. They were making her talk to some stranger, there was no way to justify what they were making her do. All she did was stare out the window until they got home.

When the family made it home, Shiori ran for her room and closed the door and locked it behind her. Makoto and Sousuke followed their daughter upstairs and tried to get her to open the door but Shiori was not in the mood to talk about anything. After a while, Makoto gave up and dejectedly sighed as he walked into the living room with Sousuke following behind him. He knew Shiori didn't like having to go to therapy but he had no idea she'd shut down the way she has. He sat down on the couch and rubbed his temples to ward off the oncoming headache. Sousuke sat down next to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. Makoto laid his head on Sousuke's shoulder and closed his eyes.

"Thinking about Shiori?" Sousuke asked as he rubbed Makoto's side.

"Yea. I knew she hated the thought of therapy and actually going but I didn't think she'd shut down the way she did. Maybe we're making a mistake. We should just take her out and let nature take its course."

"We're not making a mistake. Shiori doesn't yet understand how important it is for her to go to therapy so all we can do is give her time, okay?"

"Remind me why we signed her up for therapy again?"

"Shiori was showing symptoms of PTSD which were getting worse so we had to take her to a licensed professional qualified to give an accurate diagnosis before anything irreversible happened." Makoto sighed. He was just so worried about Shiori. All he wanted to do was help her. If he could take away all the inner pain she was feeling, he would but he can't do that. All he can do was put her in therapy and hope for the best. Makoto frowned and leaned into Sousuke.

"I just want her to get better."

"Me too. She'll come around, just give her time." Makoto nodded and sighed a little. Shiori need time. Time to understand why she was going to therapy, time to fully realize that taking to someone would help her. He licked his lips and intertwined his fingers with Sousuke's fingers. Now that today was out of the way, all he could think about was tomorrow.

Tomorrow was the day that Kisumi and Seijuurou would be sentenced to however long the judge decides to sentence them. For the last month there had been a criminal trial in the case of Shiori's kidnapping. The DA tacked on attempted murder to the list of charges since Shiori nearly died at their hands so it took a little longer what with the attorney trying to prove that Shiori just got them mixed up with some other people. Makoto's frown deepened when he thought about the trial and how Shiori was during the process.

At one point during the trial they had Shiori up on the stand and she ended up having a panic attack in the middle of her testimony. Sousuke had to pick her up and carry her out of the room and keep her out until everything was over. After that it was decided for the rest of the trial Makoto and Sousuke would alternate between who goes to the courthouse and who stays home with Shiori. Tomorrow, neither of them wanted to miss a moment so they asked Rin and Haru to watch Shiori at their home until the hearing was over.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Sousuke asked softly.

"Tomorrow and how things will go. There have been times where justice hasn't been served in cases like these."

"Everything's going to be okay. Kisumi and Seijuurou confessed to everything and the court proceedings have been going smoothly. There's no way in hell any jury can acquit that."

"I hope you're right."

"I am." Sousuke said cheekily. Makoto laughed and pinched his cheek.

"You are such a cheeky bastard."

"But I'm your cheeky bastard." Sousuke sweetly remarked as he kissed Makoto's nose.

"Then maybe my cheeky bastard would like to help me with the speech I'm supposed to give at Nagisa's wedding." Soususke playfully groaned.

Next week, Rei and Nagisa are getting married and asked Shiori and Sousuke to be in the wedding. Shiori was the flower girl, a role she was very happy to accept, and Sousuke had the duty of giving Nagisa away since his father was not interested to do the honor. When Nagisa explained why he wanted Sousuke to give him away, Sousuke did feel his heart break a little.

When Nagisa told his parents that he was pregnant from a one night stand and marrying Rei, his parents were less than thrilled. His father yelled at him that he was ruining the family name while his mother broke down and cried. Sousuke shuddered to imagine what that must have been like for the little blond. He didn't know a lot about Hazuki but no one deserves that kind of reaction. The good thing is Nagisa didn't let their reactions influence him to leave Rei. He was set to marry him with or without his parents there.

"Oh come on, Sou-kun~! I wanna make sure my speech is just perfect."

"Ugh. You know I hate it when you call me 'Sou-kun.'"

"But you love me."

"That I do. Now come on, let's get this thing over with. What do you have so far?"

Makoto stood up in front of Sousuke with a big smile on his face. "Tell me if you like this: Until today, I never thought true love existed until I witnessed the union of marriage between two of my friends. Nagisa, Rei, I've seen the way you two look at each other and they way you interact and I can honestly say that true love exists and you are living proof of such love. I wish you two the best of luck in the years ahead and all the happiness in the world. How was that?"

"It was perfect except I'd take out 'the union of marriage' part and just say 'Until today, I never thought true love existed until I witnessed two of my friends get married.' Other than that, I really loved the speech." Makoto smiled and straddled Sousuke's lap as he kissed him slowly. Sousuke kissed back as he wrapped his arms around Makoto's waist.

"You really know how to flatter a guy."

"That may be why we're together." Makoto laughed and lightly hit Sousuke's chest.

"Don't get cocky. *sigh* I'm gonna check on Shiori." Makoto got off Sousuke's lap and went upstairs to Shiori's room. He tried to open the door but it was still locked. A sigh escaped his lips as he knocked at the door.

"Shiori, it's Mama. Can I come in and talk to you?" From the other side of the door there was no answer. Only some shuffles from whatever was being moved. Makoto frowned and put his hand to the door. "Sweetheart, I know you don't like the idea of going to therapy but it's going to help you." There was a slight shuffling sound before the door unlocked and Shiori stood behind it with tear tracks falling down her cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy from the crying she'd done, no doubt from having to go to therapy.

"How is therapy going to help me?"

Makoto bent down to Shiori's level. "Talking to someone can do wonders for a person. You may not understand it now but one day when you're older, you'll be happy you went."

"Why would I? I'm not happy now and I won't be when I'm older!"

"When was the last time you went to sleep without Papa singing to you, Shiori? When was the last time you weren't scared to leave the house? When was the last time you went a full 24 hours without any sort of outburst or panic attack?" Shiori opened her mouth to answer but she closed her mouth. She didn't know. It'd been so long ago that she's completely forgotten. A deep frown tugged at her face and she looked down in shame, now knowing that she was being silly abut this therapy thing. Makoto took Shiori into his arms and gave her a hug.

"I don't mean to make you feel bad but you need help, Shiori. That's why you're going to therapy." Shiori still wasn't convinced. How could talking to some stranger for an hour help her in any way? Makoto smiled and released his daughter from the hug. "Look, if you go to the first session and you still feel the way you do now, we'll take you right out and there'll be no more talk of therapy unless you mention it."

Shiori held up her pinky finger. "Promise?"

Makoto wrapped his pinky around hers. "Promise. Are you okay now?" Shiori nodded and smiled a little.

"I'm okay, Mama."

"Good. I'm about to make dinner and I need my little helper." Shiori beamed with happiness as she raced down to the kitchen with her mother walking behind her. When Makoto reached the kitchen, he pulled out the ingredients for tonight's meal and began to prepare it with Shiori's help. As they prepared the meal, Makoto began to think of tomorrow and how things might go. He was skeptical on how things would work out. Cases like these almost never work in the plaintiff's favor. Makoto sighed to himself. Only fate could tell the answer.

* * *

~The Next Day~

* * *

Sousuke sat outside the courtroom, waiting for the jury to come to a decision. Today was the last day of the trial of Kisumi and Seijuurou for kidnapping, abusing, and almost killing Shiori. The two had confessed to the crimes they were charged of and pleaded guilty but it still took a month, due to the evidence that was piled against the defendants. Sousuke still couldn't believe that Kisumi would do such a thing and why Sousuke didn't know. The motives for this were unclear as they never said why they did it on the stand but it was probably for some idiotic reason. He anxiously bounced his leg as he waited.

He had been sitting here for an hour. How long did it take for a jury to make a fucking decision?! Both Kisumi and Seijuurou confessed to everything and they watched Shiori break down during her testimony. what kind of jury would acquit that?! Sousuke sighed. The jury did need time to go over the evidence and the crime in order from start to finish. He'd served time on a jury before and it took a couple hours for everyone to reach a decision. Sousuke hated waiting like this. The suspense was killing him and the silence was almost insufferable.

"They're still not done yet?" A voice asked. Sousuke looked up and Makoto standing in front of him. He responded with a sigh and threading his fingers through his own hair. This was so frustrating! What was there to discuss?! Makoto sat next to him and took his hand into his.

"Just be patient, Sousuke. That's all we have to do right now. Neither of us have the power to alter time."

"I wish we did, then maybe this thing could hurry the hell up." Makoto laughed and kissed Sousuke's temple.

"Everything's gonna work out, Sousuke. Just wait. Come on, let's talk about something else like how many kids do you think we'll have?"

Sousuke shrugged. "I dunno, around six?"

"Six kids?"

"Yea. I guess ever since I found out about Shiori being my daughter, I wanted more. I don't want her to grow up as an only child."

While being an only child had its advantages, it also had its disadvantages. For example, Shiori would have to rely on her friends to act as substitute siblings but it still doesn't get rid of the loneliness. Sousuke knew the loneliness of being an only child. Sure, he had Rin and Gou who felt like siblings to him but that didn't make up for having siblings of his own. While some viewed being an only child as a blessing, Sousuke viewed it as a curse. Makoto smiled and chuckled a little.

"I never thought you would want a big family."

"What can I say? I like the idea of having a bunch of little Yamazaki's running around the house." Makoto laughed and thought about mini Sousuke's running around the house. Sousuke took Makoto's hand into his own and rubbed the pad of his thumb against the back of Makoto's hand. "How many kids were you thinking of having?"

"As many as we can before I get tired of praying to the Porcelain Goddess every morning."

"Which in your book means nine." Makoto poked his tongue out at Sousuke and leaned his head on his fiancee's shoulder. Sousuke wrapped an arm around Makoto and pulled him close. If he had to endure the world's bullshit with anyone, he was glad it was with Makoto. Speaking of Makoto, the brunette nudged him when he saw people filing into the courtroom. The couple stood up and held each others' hands as they walked inside to hear the fate of the men who had harmed their little girl.

The couple walked to the front row seats and watched as the judge entered the room, as did the two defendants. Kisumi and Seijuurou were dressed in orange jumpsuits and were escorted in whilst wearing handcuffs. Kisumi's usually fluffy pink hair had lost its fluff and his purple eyes lost the life they held. Seijuurou was no better off. Without hair gel keeping it slicked back, Seijuurou's hair covered his forehead and is face was beaten up, no doubt from guys in prison trying to size him out and start shit. The two sat with their court-appointed attorney as they judge banged his gavel to silence the courtroom.

"Order! Order in the court!" The entire room silence as the banging gavel echoed throughout the room. "Jury, have you reached a verdict?"

"We have, Your Honor."

"How do you read?"

"In the case of The People v. Shigino Kisumi and Mikoshiba Seijuurou, case number 4359087, we ,the jury, find the defendants guilty on several counts of child abuse, abduction, and attempted murder."

Makoto and Sousuke looked at each other with smiles on their faces. Finally, after waiting a whole month for a verdict, they finally got one. Sousuke took Makotot's hand and peppered many kisses over it as Kisumi and Seijuurou frowned and looked at each other. They were going to jail.They would not be able to see the light of day for a while. The judge gave the two of them an icy cold glare that ripped through them like a bullet. Now that the verdict was out there, their fate was now sealed and locked away.

"For your crime, I hereby sentence you both to twenty years in prison. Six years for the victim's current age, five for the number of months your victim had to suffer in your hands, two for the time the victim was in the hospital, and seven more for the number of months of heartbreak the parents had to endure while their child was away and for you to think about what you did. So be it!" The judge finished is sentencing with a bang of his gavel. Kisumi and Seijuurou were escorted out the room by two bailiffs. Seijuurou went quietly while Kisumi had begun to have a break down. He turned around in the bailiff's arms to look at Sousuke, searching his eyes for sympathy and mercy but found none. The bailiff had to shove Kisumi into the back of the room to make him go.

Sousuke and Makoto got up from their sears and left the courtroom hand-in-hand. They looked at each other with smiles on their faces. They were both thinking the same thing; justice was finally served. Kisumi and Seijuurou were in prison, they would not be able to see the light of day for a long time. Shiori would have some closure. They went to the car and got in. They both sat there for a minute before Makoto's eyes welled up with tears of happiness as he let out a little chuckle.

"It's so hard to believe. We finally have justice for everything that's happened. I can't wait to tell Shiori."

"Me neither. Come on, let's go pick her up." Sousuke said as he started the car and drove off.

* * *

"Oh come on!" Rin groaned in defeat as he put down the Wii Remote in frustration. Shiori laughed at Rin's reaction as Rosalina drove around in celebration on the screen.

Shiori and Rin were playing Mario Kart 8 on 100cc and were paying the Star Cup. Rin chose to play as Bowser while Shiori took Rosalina. When they started in Sunshine Airport, Rin won because it was of his best courses in the game. In Dolphin Shoals, Shiori had won that one. Rin chuckled and began to think that it would be tied by the end. When they made it to Electrodrome, Shiori won that one too. She had the advantage of predicting when the lightning would strike. Rin's confidence faltered a little but he was still in, until it got to Mount Wario, shit got real. Shiori knew every twist and turn and she kept knocking Rin off the edge whenever she could!

Haru laughed a little as his boyfriend and goddaughter bonded over Mario Kart. He placed a hand on his stomach and rubbed it a little, knowing that in a number of years that the scene he watching was gonna be Rin and their little one. Haru found out that he was pregnant a couple weeks ago and so far the baby is just healthy. His only hope for this pregnancy was that he didn't have another miscarriage and that his baby was healthy. That's all Haru could hope for. Haru grabbed the tray full of snacks and apple juice and brought it to the TV room and put it on the table. Rin paused the game so that they could eat some snacks.

"So, who's winning so far?"

"I am!" Shiori beamed. Haru chuckled and pet Shiori's head.

"Good job, sweetheart!"

"Oi! I'm your boyfriend, you're supposed to be on my side!" Rin pouted. Haru gave Rin a peck on the cheek.

"Aw, Rin, you know I love you."

Rin chuckled and pulled Haru down to his lap and peppered his face with kisses. "And I you, and little Peanut."

"Uncle RinRIn, are you and Haru-chan really gonna name the baby Peanut?" Shiori asked.

"We're just calling the baby Peanut for the moment because we don't know what it is." Haru explained. "Until we know whether the baby is a little boy or girl, we'll keep calling them Peanut. If it's a boy, we'll call him Sakura, if it's a girl, we'll call her Kaede." Shiori nodded in understanding and ate some gummy bears Haru laid out. Haru's phone chimed with the indication of a new text. He took out his phone and checked it to see a text from Makoto saying that he was walking up the path to his house. Haru put his phone down and got up from Rin's lap. "Shiori, start packing your things, Mama's on the way up."

"Hai!" Shiori responded as she got up and began to pack up the things she'd brought with her. The doorbell rang and Haru went to answer it. When he opened it, Makoto was behind it shivering from the cold.

"Hey, Haru. Is Shiori ready?"

"Just packing up her things. How'd it go?"

"They're gonna be away for 20 years."

"Congratulations! Doing anything special to celebrate?"

"I'm making a crab boil, Sousuke and I are going shopping for everything when we leave here." Haru nodded as Shiori appeared and ran to her mother. Makoto bent down in time and trapped her in a hug.

"There's my Shi-chan! Did you have a good time with Uncle RinRin and Haru-chan?"

"I did! I beat Uncle RinRIn in Mario Kart!"

"Good girl! Come on, let's get your coat and shoes on." Shiori nodded and grabbed her shoes as Makoto grabbed her coat off the hanger. After Shiori got her shoes on, Makoto helped her with her coat and zipped her up, as well as wrapping her favorite green and teal striped scarf around her neck. Shiori giggled then turned around to hug Haru.

"Bye-bye, Haru-chan!" Shiori was about to walk away but then turned around and placed a kiss on Haru's stomach. "Bye-bye, Peanut!" Makoto looked at Haru with a questioning stare as Haru sheepishly blushed and nodded at his friend, confirming his suspicions. Makoto smiled and hugged him tight, being careful not to harm the unborn life dwelling within Haru. Makoto waved Haru good-bye as he took Shiori's hand and led her to the car where Sousuke was waiting.

Sousuke stood outside the car, smoking a cigarette to keep warm. When he caught sight of Makoto and Shiori, he took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew one last cloud before dropping it on the ground and stomping it out. Shiori's face lit up when she saw her father. She ran from her mother to hug him as Makoto ran after her. Sousuke smiled at he bent down to catch her then lifted her up in the air.

"How's my baby orca doing?" Shiori giggled at the nickname.

"I beat Uncle RinRin in Mario Kart and Haru-chan told me that he's gonna have a baby! How did the court thingy go?"

Sousuke smiled at his daughter as he opened the car door and helped her inside while Makoto got in the passenger seat. "Twenty years, Shiori. Kisumi and Seijuurou are gonna be away for twenty years." Shiori's eyes lit up when she heard that. The smile on her face grew bigger as she thought of them being caged up like she was a few months prior.

When Sousuke finished helping his daughter in the car, he got in the driver's seat and turned the car on and drove off. During the whole ride, the smile on Shiori's did not show any signs of leaving any time soon. Neither Sousuke nor Makoto could blame her. The people who tortured her for five months were being put away for a long time and she, along with anyone else who was put through abuse, took great satisfaction in knowing that they would not be abe to see the sun for a while. Sousuke took Makoto's hand into his and kissed it. Finally, this was all behind them. They could move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you lovelies enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it was kind of short and the ending got rushed, I wanted to get this chapter done. I might come back later and rewrite it. I simultaneously wrote this with chapters 23-26 (which is why this took so long) so expect chapter 23 to be uploaded within the next few minutes or, at the latest, tomorrow


	23. You're Cut Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke visits Kisumi in prison then goes home and reviews how much his life has changed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's gonna be a bit heavy with dialogue so sit back and enjoy the ride

Kisumi walked through the halls of the prison with one of the corrections officers escorting him to the visiting room. He's only been in prison for a week and it already feels like a month has passed. Just last week he and Seijuurou had been sentenced to twenty years in prison. They pleaded guilty to the charges of kidnapping, child abuse, and attempted murder. Since he's been here all he's done was think about what he did to end up in here. He's tried to call Sousuke through the phone many times to apologize for what he did to Shiori but he never accepts the call. All he hears on the other end is the dial-tone. All he wanted to do was apologize for his sins and hopefully be forgiven.

The corrections officer guided him to the visitation room where there were a few of his fellow inmates sitting and talking with loved ones. The one that caught his eye was Sousuke. A smile reached his face as he sat in the sea across from Sousuke. His ex had the same stoic expression on his face. His jaw was almost clenched shut and his teal eyes were practically bathing in the anger he was holding in. The smile on Kisumi's face left as he nervously wiped his hair out of his eyes.

"Hey, Sousuke. How is the family?"

"Makoto's doing well and Shiori is adjusting to being home again."

"How is Shiori? I haven't seen her since the trial."

"Other than the bruises and cuts you gave her she has a lot of mental scarring that a licensed professional is taking care of, Shiori is doing just fine."

"Oh. Sousuke, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what I did to Shiori and for causing you and Makoto pain. I'm so sorry and I hope you can find it somewhere in your heart to forgive me." Sousuke just looked at him with disbelief showing in his face.

"You're sorry? You? You have no _right_ to tell me you're sorry. You knew what you were doing when you kept Shiori for all that time, you knew how much I love my daughter and you still kept her and you did what you did and nearly took my little girl's life! You're not sorry for any of it, you're just sorry that I know you did it and that you're in here." With each word, Kisumi felt his sins crawling on his back and tried not to burst out into tears. Sousuke sighed and looked at his ex without a shred of sympathy for him. How the hell could he? Shiori nearly died before of Kisumi's actions. Sousuke held no sympathy for people who harmed children for no reason. "Why'd you do it?"

Kisumi licked his lips. He knew Sousuke was going to get fired up like this and he couldn't blame him. If their positions were flipped, he would feel the same way Sousuke does. He looked at Sousuke with unshed tears glistening in his eyes. "I was losing my mind. I was in denial that you actually left me for Makoto and your daughter and I wanted to make you pay; to make you suffer the way I did. I took her because I wanted you guys to break up over something and I saw that in her. I thought that if she were gone, you two would break up."

"So you had some _thug_ break into my home to kidnap my child?! What sense does that make?"

"I love you, Sousuke! That's why I did it!" Kisumi softly cried as he tried to take Sousuke's hands into his own.

Sousuke withdrew his hands with disgust written on his face. He couldn't believe this. The reason his daughter was taken, the reason she almost died, the reason why she has to go to therapy was a petty attempt to get him and Makoto to break up?! That was so stupid! Sousuke strongly fought the urge to jump across this table and choke Kisumi to death for everything he did to Shiori. The only thing stopping was knowing he couldn't watch Shiori grow up or raise a family from behind bars. Just knowing that he's going to be here for twenty years was enough or him. He sighed and looked into the purple eyes he'd grown to hate.

"Do you remember the fight we had the day I found out that I had a child?"

"How can I forget? You threw my suitcase out into the hallway of your old apartment."

"If you really loved me like you say you do, you wouldn't have given me that ultimatum. You would have put up with the fact that I have a daughter who needed her father in her life. If you loved me, you would have welcomed Shiori into your heart like she was _your_ daughter. I guess you didn't love me." Kisumi shed more tears and wiped his nose.

"I did love you and I still do!"

Sousuke laughed. "We've got two different definitions of love. Love to you is wrapping your legs around my waist and bouncing on my dick like there's no tomorrow. Love to me is having you wrap your heart around me."

Kisumi decided to ignore that comment. "Be that as it may, I gave you that ultimatum because I wasn't ready to be someone's parent."

"I wasn't ready to be someone's father either but I couldn't ditch my responsibility for you."

"Sousuke, please accept my apology! I'm sorry for everything I did!"

"Sorry doesn't fix a damn thing. I can't forgive you for all that pain you put Shiori through and I don't want a damn thing to do with you anymore."

Kisumi gasped as more tears slid out of his eyes. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm letting go of you. From this day onward, don't call my house anymore and don't think about sending me any letters. You're pissing off my boyfriend and scaring my daughter. Have fun for the next 20 years." Sousuke growled as he got up and left Kisumi crying for him and screaming his name, alone, as he was being detained by the corrections officers standing by.

A small part of Sousuke felt sad for doing it but a large part of him felt glad for doing it. He was truly free from Kisumi. It felt like a giant load was taken off of his shoulders. As he waked out of the prison, he didn't look back once. Kisumi was a mistake he made a long time ago and he was not going to let himself dwell on their past relationship. Sousuke got in his car and drove home, thinking about everything he saw in Kisumi while they were together.

Though Sousuke was only with Kisumi to try and get over Makoto, he did love Kisumi at one point during their relationship. It was only when it became more about sex that Sousuke began to lose interest in Kisumi and their relationship. He tried to save what they had left of their relationship but whenever he brought it up, they'd always end up getting into a fight. Towards the end he began missing Makoto and wanted to break up with Kisumi before he did but there were two problems: 1) At the time, there was no guarantee that Makoto was going to take him back. 2) He still had hope that things would take a turn for the better.

Sousuke was happy that things didn't get better. If things with him had gotten better, he never would have been at the park that day and he never would have met Shiori and forged their relationship. A smile appeared on Sousuke's face as he came up to the driveway of his home. Even when he had a bad day, he was always delighted to see his home and know that the kind of love he wanted was within those four walls. He parked his car then got out and walked into his home.

"I'm home!" Sousuke called as he took his shoes off. He raised an eyebrow when he didn't get an answer back. Usually Shiori came running to him the moment the door opened.

He checked the main room and saw that there was no one there. Usually Shiori was in here binge-watching Sailor Moon (again) or Makoto was reading a book or folding the laundry. He left the living room and went into the kitchen. He looked inside to see that it was empty except for Ken who was eating what was in his bowl. Sousuke walked over to the dog and pet him a little before looking on the counter and seeing a plate with two little notes beside it. He took the notes in his hands and read them.

'This was left over from lunch. There was enough left for one more serving so I saved it for you in case you didn't get anything on the way back home. Put it in the microwave for 4 minutes. <3 Makoto'

'Mama made lunch and I helped! It's really yummy, I hope you like it! -Shi-chan'

Sousuke chuckled at the notes and put them down. Makoto started doing this when he came home later than usual and got Shiori roped into it, too. Sousuke loved reading the notes he got since they always made him feel better about something that was on his mind; not to mention they were kind of cute. He put the plate in the microwave and waited for his food to heat up. As he waited, he felt Ken pawing at his leg and sniffling him. A small smile appeared on his face as he bent down and pet the dog's fur.

"Hey buddy. Do you know where Makoto and Shiori are?"

Ken only sneezed then licked Sousuke's hand then scampered off to some other part of the house, most likely up to Shiori's room. Sousuke stood up and wiped his hand off when the microwave beeped signaling that his food was ready. He grabbed his chopsticks and some water before taking his food out of the machine. He sat down at the table and began to eat his food. He smiled when he took the first bite. The thing he especially loved about Makoto's cooking was that it was getting better by the day. Sousuke finished his food and went upstairs to check if Shiori might have been in her room.

When he opened the door, he didn't see her in there. Usually she's in here painting something. Speaking of painting, Shiori started to use her paint set as suggested by her psychiatrist as a temporary form of therapy while she tried to set up something with a psychotherapist. He looked at the canvas and saw the unfinished painting. So far it was just a background but he could tell that Shiori had some plans for it. In her paintings she did the background first then painted in everything else. He left Shiori's room and went to his and Makoto's bedroom.

From behind the door, which was opened just to the point where the dog can fit in, he heard the sound of rainfall. He raised an eyebrow and opened the door to see Makoto reading a book with an arm around Shiori who was sleeping on his chest. Ken was laying on Makoto's lap, slowly but surely falling asleep, too. There was a noise machine on the bedside table which explains the sound of rain. Makoto looked up from his book and smiled at Sousuke then pat a free spot on the bed. Makoto had on his red plaid button-up with a black shirt under it with black jeans and his glasses. Sousuke walked over to his little family and crawled in next to them. He wrapped a protective arm around them and kissed Makoto's cheek.

"Hey, you. How was the visit?" Makoto whispered.

"Emotionally draining but I started feeling better on the drive home. You finally got the little one to go down for a nap?"

Makoto chuckled and pet Shiori's head. "I told her that the noise machine would help her and it did. She was out within a minute but I think that it was because she hasn't gotten a good rest in a while. The sound of rain just eased her into it."

"It's comforting to see her asleep again."

"Yea. She's gonna end up falling in love with this thing."

"When did you get it? I don't remember seeing it in the boxes when we moved in."

"My parents came by and brought it with them. They were going through some boxes and found a noise machine they bought years ago and never used. They thought it would help Shiori get to sleep and it does."

"That was nice of them. Are you going to see Seijuurou? He's been calling, too." Makoto put his book down as his lips twitched downwards in a deep frown. He looked at Shiori and sighed heavily as he pet her head. He thought about her and everything she had to endure during her five months in captivity. Next, he thought of Seijuurou and the relationship they shared. Makoto thought about the time the three of them spent as a little family. It was short, sure, but Makoto thought about it and his frown grew deeper when he thought of his ex interacted with Shiori and compared it to now.

"I don't think I can see him."

"Why not?"

"*sigh* I can't face the man who stood by and let my daughter be harmed. Shiori was a baby when we dated and I trusted him with her--saw him as Shiori's father at one point--and for him to let those things happen to her is something I cannot fathom nor wrap my head around. I controlled myself every day I went to court and had to look at him. I felt a deep hatred fill up in my soul, a feeling I've never truly felt about anyone and if I were to visit him, I'd end up being arrested and tried for murder because I would choke that fucker to death for everything that happened to our little girl."

Sousuke didn't say anyting. He understood Makoto well. It took all the self-control that was inside of him not to kill Kisumi for harming their daughter. Sousuke looked at his sleeping daughter and smiled at her. Despite all that has happened, Sousuke took comfort in knowing that she was home and safe.

"I love you guys so much, you have no idea."

"I think I know how much you love us. Rei and Nagisa's wedding is tomorrow."

"I know. I thought they would have gotten married after they graduated high school."

Makoto chuckled. "They were going to get married one day soon but since they're gonna have a baby, they had to rush things."

"Yea. Hey, speaking of marriage, what do imagine our wedding being like?"

"For our wedding, I want it to be a summer wedding, outdoors on the beach by the waves. I want something simple and elegant, nothing to extravagant. Our colors will be green and teal, just like our eyes, and when we say 'I do,' a thousand white doves will fly into the air as our lips meet in a tender yet passionate kiss. What do you think about that?"

"You've been reading way too many romance novels." Sousuke cheekily answered. Makoto rolled his eyes and put his book down.

"A man can dream, Yamacutie." Sousuke laughed which was loud enough to awaken Shiori from her nap. Shiori yawned and rubbed her eyes as she woke up. Emerald green eyes looked up at her mother and groggily smiled at him. Makoto smiled and ruffled Shiori's messy hair.

"Hey there sleepyhead. How was your nap?"

"It was good, Mama! The noise thingy really worked! Can I keep it in my room?"

"Of course you can, Shi-chan." Sousuke answered. Shiori's ears perked up when she heard her father's voice. She turned her head around and jumped from her mother's arms to her father's arms. Sousuke caught her in time and laughed. "Ah! There's my hug. Was my baby orca good while I was gone?" Shiori giggled and stretched a little.

"Hai, Papa. I helped Mama make lunch, did you see it?"

"I saw it and I ate it."

"How was it?"

"Delicious, little chef." Sousuke said as he poked his daughter's nose.

Shiori made a silly face that caused Sousuke to laugh. If there's any trait Shiori earned from him, it was his ability to act like a total goofball. Sousuke began to tickle her and Shiori howled with laughter as she squirmed and tried to get away from her father. As Sousuke listened to his daughter's laughs, his smile never faltered. Ever since he found out he had a daughter, he began to appreciate the little moments when they bonded with each other. Sousuke couldn't wait to have more of these moments in the future. He stopped tickling Shiori when his fingers began to get tired. Makoto smiled at the pair and closed his book.

"Now that the gang's all here, why don't we go down to the living room and watch some Disney movies?"

"Hai! I wanna watch Beauty and the Beast!"

"Ok then, Shi-chan. Go downstairs, Papa and I will be down in a minute." Shiori nodded and left the room with Ken following her. Sousuke and Makoto looked at each other and laughed. Shiori could be so energetic sometimes, it was laughable sometimes. The couple got out of the bed and before they could leave the room, Makoto stopped Sousuke from leaving.

"What's with you today? You're a little more affectionate than you usually are and when you were interacting with Shiori I saw a twinkle in your eye." Sousuke pulled Makoto close to him by the waist and kissed his temple.

"Let's just say that visit with Kisumi made me realize how much you and Shiori meant to me and think about how much my life has changed."

"And how do you like the changes?" Makoto asked with a hopeful smile.

"I don't like the changes." Makoto frowned and looked at the floor. Sousuke grabbed his chin and looked at him with a fond smile. "I love the changes like I love you." Makoto smiled and pecked Sousuke's lips.

"I love you, too, Sousuke. Let's hurry downstairs before Shiori gets tired of waiting for us." Sousuke nodded and followed his boyfriend out the door. Yea, he did love the changes to his life and he wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh well, sappy ending is sappy ending. If I remember I'll come back later and rewrite this the way I wanted it to turn out


	24. Wedding Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei and Nagisa get married

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it'd be fitting for Reigisa to have a spotlight chapter so enjoy~

Nagisa looked at himself in the mirror as his sisters fiddled around with him while he had the biggest smile he could manage on his face. Today was the day he and Rei were getting married. A month ago, Rei proposed to him the night Nagisa told him that he was pregnant. In planning the wedding, they decided to just have their close friends and their immediate family attend. They didn't want anything too big. All they wanted was something simple and small. Besides, their bank account did not allow anything too big and they were going to be parents soon meaning they needed to save up as much for the baby as possible. Nagisa's eyes zeroed in on the small baby bump he was slowly but surely gaining.

In seven months, Nagisa would give birth to his baby. Unfortunately, the baby wasn't Rei's child. When Nagisa found out he was going have a baby, he felt his world stop spinning. He was worried about telling Rei that he cheated on him and he got pregnant. He thought for sure that Rei would kick him out and leave the baby without a father figure but he didn't. Instead, Rei proposed to him and asked to be the baby's father. Rei was a wonderful boyfriend and he'd only make the best father and husband. Sometimes, Nagisa stayed awake at night thinking about the three of them as a family and imagined it. At night he had dreams of a child that would have his eyes, his smile, his nose and the rest of their facial features from the biological father. A small frown came to Nagisa's face when he thought about the baby's biological father.

Nagisa tried not to think much about him and the night they shared. It was in the past and he shouldn't have any reason to think about him. Part of Nagisa thought about finding him and telling him about the baby but another part of him didn't want to get that man involved. Maybe he wouldn't want the baby or maybe he would. Nagisa didn't know much about the anonymous man but he did remember seeing a face he couldn't say no to. Nagisa sighed happily as he placed his hands on the little baby bump. Even if this baby never knows its biological father, it would still be happy and that is all Nagisa wants for his baby.

"Okay, all done!" One of his sisters said as all three backed away. Nagisa chuckled as he looked at his reflection. He was wearing a white dress because he felt that a tux would make the baby growing himside of him feel a little uncomfortable. The dress itself was like a pastry. It covered his legs and made it look as if he didn't have any legs under there. His sisters put the veil in his hair which covered his face. In his hands were a bouquet of blue violets. He turned around to face his sisters and smiled hopefully.

"How do I look?"

"Beautiful." A new voice said. Nagisa looked up and saw Sousuke walking in. Nagisa laughed and hugged Sousuke.

"Is everything ready?"

"Yea, Rei's at the altar but before we go, something came up and I can't walk you down the aisle anymore."

Nagisa frowned and furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why not?"

"A woman came up to me and said she wanted to walk you down." Sousuke said as he stepped aside to let Nagisa's mother walk in. Tears pricked up in Nagisa's eyes as he hugged his mother tight. His mother hugged him back and rubbed his back as he cried. He didn't think she'd come to the wedding, not after the way she reacted when he told her that he was pregnant with his first child. Soon they let go and Nagisa laughed through his tears.

"I didn't think you would come!"

"I wasn't planning on showing up today but last night I went over our old family photos and I thought about you and how happy you are with Rei and I couldn't bear the thought of not being here to witness my baby boy getting married,"

"What about Dad? Did he come?"

"He's here but I couldn't convince him to walk you down the aisle. He saved me a seat in the front row."

"Dad's still mad at me?"

"He walks out of the room every time I mention your name." Nagisa's mother bitterly laughed. She grabbed her son's hands and held them tight. "Look, I may not have been happy to know that my son got pregnant from a one-night stand but I'm only looking at the positives; I'm having a grandchild and my son is going to marry a man he loves with all his heart. All I want is for you to be happy." Nagisa smiled and wiped his eyes.

"Thanks, Mom. Now come on, I have a man to marry." Mrs. Hazuki laughed and escorted her son out of the room.

They made it to the start of the aisle the priest and Rei were standing, waiting for them. The arch they were getting married under was white and decorated with blue violets. Rei was wearing a black tuxedo with a white button-up shirt and a pink silk tie to match Nagisa's eyes. The guests were all standing with eyes to the back as the music began to play as Shiori walked down the aisle and threw flower petals in front of her. Nagisa and his mother walked arm-in-arm down the aisle when Shiori finished throwing the roses.

Nagisa and Rei locked eyes with each other. This was the day they'd been waiting for. Sure, it was technically a shotgun wedding but marriage for them was an inevitability. When Nagisa finally made it up the the altar, he stood in front of Rei. The smile on Nagisa's face didn't leave and neither did Rei's. For them, words couldn't describe what they were feeling. The music faded and the justice of the peace began to talk.

"Friends and loved ones, we are gathered here today to witness the union between Ryugazaki Rei and Hazuki Nagisa. If anyone has reason to object to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace." At that moment, Nagisa looked at his father with his eyes pleading for him not to say anything. He knew his father was against this union and knowing his father, he might try to say something. TIme passed and no one said a word which meant the ceremony could continue.

"The couple has written their own vows and would like to recite them. Nagisa?" Nagisa licked his lips and looked deep into his lover's purple eyes.

"Rei, I've loved you ever since high school and I still see you as that sexy nerd with the red glasses. Every day I wake up next to you, I consider myself the luckiest man on earth. Rei, without you by my side, I don't know how I would have turned out. You've been with me through all the good times and bad times in my life and I couldn't ask for a better lover. I love you so much, Rei, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I promise to be the best husband I can be and to love you until I draw my last breath." Nagisa began to cry by the end of his speech. Rei shed a few tears himself and wiped them away.

"Nagisa, I love you with all my heart. You brought color to my otherwise dreary life. Without you, I don't know where I'd be today. We've had many beautiful years together and I want many more with you. I am eternally grateful for every day I get to call you my love and every moment we have together. Every time I look at you, I can't help but fall in love with you all over again. I love you, Nagisa, more than you'll ever know and I promise you that I will cherish you and love you for the rest of my life." By the end of his speech, both Rei and Nagisa were crying. They were so happy, they couldn't keep from crying.

"Who has the rings?" The priest asked. Haru raised his hand and took out the rings. Nagisa and Rei each took a ring and still had their eyes locked with each other as they exchanged the rings.

"Rei, do you take Nagisa to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, and to have and to hold as long as you both shall live until death do you part?"

Rei took a deep breath before he answered. "I do."

"Nagisa, do you take Rei to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, and to have and to hold as long as you both shall live until death do you part?"

Nagisa smiled and gently placed his hand against his sotmach. "We do." Everyone aww'd at how Nagisa included his unborn baby in the wedding. Rei's smile grew wider as he bent down and kissed the little bump. "I love you, too, Bun-Bun." Rei stood back up and held Nagisa's hands.

"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband." Rei lifted up Nagisa's veil and crashed his lips against his hsuband's in a tender kiss as their guests cheered for them and clapped. When the need for air became needed, the two broke apart and walked down the aisle and to the reception hall hand-in-hand.

The reception hall itself was like a ball room. The tables were covered in a white cloth and there was a vase full of blue violets. The reception began and the hall was filled with laughs and cheers. Nagisa went around to greet everyone who came to the wedding. He spot his father standing by the open bar and paused where he stood. He wanted to talk to his father, to try and smooth things over. He didn't want to cause a scene but he also didn't want to hear anymore of his father's harsh words. Nagisa put his hand on his stomach and thought of his baby.

Like most parents, Nagisa wanted to give his baby everything he could possibly give. He wanted the baby to be happy and he wanted the baby to know its grandparents. This type of alienation wouldn't make the baby happy. Nagisa took a deep breath and walked up to his father. His father's face was barren of any sort of expression. Nagisa knew this look. It was the look of disappointment, anger. The face that always made his knees weak with fear. Despite this, Nagisa smiled at him.

"Dad, I just wanted to say thank you for coming to my wedding. It means a lot to me. I just wish you could have walked me down the aisle with Mom."

"I had to save her a seat in the front, didn't I?" His father said flatly as he took a sip of his whiskey.

"Um, the father and bride dance is going to be some time after the bride and groom's first dance. The DJ said he wouldn't mind it if he had to add the dance to his playlist."

"Honestly, Nagisa, I don't feel much like dancing. I'm only here because your mother wouldn't stop nagging me."

Nagisa frowned. "I know you don't agree with my recent life choices but I never planned on getting pregnant from a one-night stand nor did I plan to have a shotgun wedding with my boyfriend! What can I do to make this right?"

"Give the baby up and divorce your new husband so you can marry Emi, then things will be right between us."

Nagisa gasped and shook his head. "No. I can't do any of that! It's not fair to Rei, it's not fair to the baby, and it wouldn't be fair to her!"

"Then what the hell do you want me to do?"

"Be my father and support me! I may be an adult but I still need my parents and their support. I already have it from Mom, I just need it from you. Why can't you just be here for me?!"

"Your mother and I are different; she's soft and I'm not. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be waiting for your mother in the car." Mr. Hazuki said as he finished off his whiskey and left Nagisa standing at the bar. Nagisa took a deep breath and held in the tears that were threatening to fall. He didn't even know why he bothered. It was just gonna be a bullshit hassle. He left the bar and went to the table where Rei was sitting. He smiled and took a seat on Rei's lap. Rei smiled and wrapped an arm around his husband.

"How's my beautiful husband?"

"Happy."

"Why?"

"Because I have you." Nagisa lovingly whispered as he pressed a soft kiss to Rei's lips as the patter of little feet came running towards them. Nagisa looked to see that it was Shiori with a big smile on her face. Since she was the flower girl in the wedding, her dress was white but it had red rose petals in the hem. In her hair she wore a red rose to match the petals in her dress. Nagisa smiled at the girl and hugged her.

"Hello, Shi-chan! What brings you here?"

"I wanted Rei-chan to dance with me!" Rei raised an eyebrow and bent down to the child's level.

"Um, don't you want to dance with your father? I'm sure he'd be thrilled to dance with you."

"I want my first dance with Papa to be at his and Mama's wedding!"

"What about Rin? He'd love to have a dance with you."

"Haru-chan had a doctor visit to go to so Uncle RinRin took him home. Please, Rei-chan! Just one dance! Please!" Shiori pleaded with a kick puppy expression on her face. Rei couldn't ignore that face. He could never ignore that face. He gave in to the girl's plea and held out his hand.

"Shall we go to the dance floor?" Shiori smiled and placed her hand inside Rei's as he led her to the dance floor.

The song that was playing had a moderate tempo to it, not too fast, not too slow since it was the song before the first dance between the married couple. Once they got to the dance floor, Shiori stood on Rei's feet and Rei took Shiori's hands into his. During the song, Rei was leading and as they danced. Nagisa watched the scene with a loving smile on his face. He imagined a home setting where there would be no music and no one else, just Rei and the baby dancing like that.

"Looks beautiful, doesn't it?" A voice said beside Nagisa. He looked beside him to see Makoto standing beside him with a glass of champagne in hand. Nagisa nodded.

"It does. I'm imagining Rei and the baby like this in a matter of years and I can't keep the smile off my face."

"Now you know how I feel when I watch Sousuke and Shiori interact with each other. Ah, I swear, ever since I had Shiori, I've learned to cherish cute moments like these. How are things with your father?" Nagisa frowned and sighed.

"Terrible. All I want is his support and for him to be in my baby's life. He's just so stuck in this vision of the perfect family he conjured up that he'd rather see me miserable than happy."

"Why has your father been acting like this? I know you mentioned he wasn't happy about both Rei and the baby but you never mentioned why."

"I've never told anyone this, not even Rei, but I was in an arranged marriage with this girl named Emi. She's the daughter of my father's boss. They arranged the marriage because it would look good for both families and it would look good for the company my dad works for. When I announced that I was pregnant and that I was marrying Rei, Dad was furious. He shouted that I was ruining the family name and accused me of planning all of this to get out of my marriage. I never planned for any of this to happen the way it did. I was gonna weasel out of the arranged marriage, true, but not like this. I'd never plan something like this."

Makotot frowned. He couldn't begin to imagine what life must be like for Nagisa. Having a parent who just wants things to be the way they envisioned it and nothing else with no regards to the child's feelings. He began to think of his own parents and how they reacted when he told them he was pregnant with Shiori. He thought they'd yell, curse him out, or kick him out of the house. They didn't do any of that. Instead, they sat down with him and reassured them they would be there for him and the baby and that he could live at home for as long as he needed. He didn't know where he would be if they had kicked him out or treated him different when he told them about their grandchild.

"Nagisa, do remember the first time you held Shiori?"

Nagisa chuckled. "How could I forget? She spit up on me while I was holding her."

"I remember that but the thing that stuck out the most about that memory is the advice you gave me as you held her. You told me that even though people, including those who were my family, were against me and my decision to have my baby, I'd always have the support of my friends and the family who truly care about me as well as a baby who will always love me. Do you remember?" Nagisa nodded. He remembered giving him that advice right before his shirt had baby spittle all over it.

"What about it?"

"I'll give you the same advice, Nagisa. I don't know what it feels like to have one of your parents against you so I can never understand your pain, but I do know what it feels like when family is against a decision that you thought was right. All you've got to know is that you have a husband who loves you to death and you'll have a baby who will see you as their favorite person in the whole world, no matter what you do."

Nagisa put his hand on his stomach as the song came to an end. Shiori ran over to Makoto who picked her up and started up some witty banter with her as Rei came up to him and wrapped an arm around him as he led him to the dance floor. It was time for the married couple's first dance. The song they picked was Elton John's version of 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight?'. Nagisa wanted something Disney-related while Rei wanted something slow, something he and Nagisa could dance to. They picked this song to satisfy the needs of what they wanted in their song.

As the two danced, their eyes never left each other. Nagisa could feel the tears of happiness prick up in his eyes. He still couldn't believe that he's married! It seemed nothing more than a dream and that he'd wake up soon but all the emotions he felt, the love he had for Rei, the hopes he had for their future, all of it was real. As the song reached its last chorus line, Nagisa and Rei stopped and shared a kiss on the dance floor. After the dance, the reception went on with the usual activities and by the end of the night, Nagisa and Rei were ready for the honeymoon.

After the reception ended, Nagisa and Rei were driven to a hotel in Tokyo. For their honeymoon, Nagisa thought it'd be fun to spend a week in Tokyo. They picked a nice hotel that offered a honeymoon suite for a reasonable price. They allowed themselves to splurge on the special room since they didn't spend too much on their wedding. Their bags were already in their room so all they had to do was pick up their key and head there. On the elevator ride up, Nagisa and Rei couldn't keep their hands off each other.

They were rubbing each other and making out, occaisionally whispering things to each other ranging from sweet nothings to dirty talk. When the elevator stopped on their floor, Rei picked Nagisa up and carried him to their room. Once they were in their room, Rei locked the door and the two resumed the makeout session from the elevator. The two never disconnected their lips and backed up further into the room until they landed on the bed. Rei crept his hands up Nagisa's dress to free his lover's cock from its white lace prison as he kissed his husband's neck. Nagisa moaned as he put his hand on the back of Rei's head and tilted his neck.

"Rei-chan~!"

"Mine, all mine." Rei possessively mumbled against Nagisa's neck as he bit him, leaving a mark behind to let everyone know that Nagisa was off the market. Nagisa moaned louder when he was bitten. Rei smirked to himself as he left Nagisa's neck to tend to his lover's cock. Rei kissed the tip and then began to lick it slowly. Nagisa gasped as he thrusted against Rei's tongue. It felt so good, so fucking warm! A giggle arose out of the megane as he enclosed his mouth around Nagisa's cock and began to bob his head and moan against it. Nagisa's breath escaped him as he began to thrust into Rei's mouth. Rei held Nagisa's hips down as he continued to bob his head.

"Rei~ So good~!" Rei bobbed his head faster as Nagisa began to tighten his grip in Rei's hair. Nagisa was close. Whenever he got close, his legs would start to feel like jelly. "So close!"

Rei bobbed his head faster to bring his husband to climax. Nagisa began to pant as he inched closer and closer to his climax. Rei only continued to moan against Nagisa's cock as he began to grow hard in his tuxedo pants. Nagisa moaned Rei's name as he arched his back and came in Rei's mouth. Rei swallowed what was in his mouth and removed himself from his lover's cock. Nagisa was a panting mess with his face flushed and the skirt of his dress splayed out like a little pastry. Rei kissed Nagisa, allowing the other to taste himself on his lips. Nagisa moaned in the kiss and began to stroke himself back to life.

"Mm~ I taste so good~" Nagisa seductively whispered.

"Maybe from all the cake you ate at the reception. How many slices did you have?"

"At least three. Now are we gonna consummate this marriage or what?" Rei began to shed his tuxedo as Nagisa took off his dress and underwear. Nagisa crawled in the bed and looked at Rei with his eyes brimming with lust. "Rei-chan~ I'm ready for you." Nagisa purred in a seductive tone. Rei blushed and crawled in next to his husband. Nagisa kissed him as he pushed Rei onto his back and rubbed his ass against his husband's length with an innocent look on his face.

"Rei-chan, do you want me?"

Rei nodded his head frantically as he put his hands on Nagisa's hips. "I do, Nagisa-kun. I want you so much."

Nagisa grinned and leaned over to kiss Rei as he lined Rei's cock up with his ass. Slowly, Nagisa lowered himself down on it with a hiss and a few curses. It's bee way too damn long since the two of them had done this. Rei kept his hands steady on Nagisa's hips, occasionally rubbing them to calm down his husband a little. Once Nagisa was fully seated on Rei, he took a minute or two to get used to it and began to move his hips. Rei moaned and gently ran his hands over Nagisa's body. Nagisa melted in Rei's gentle touches as he continued to ride his husband.

Rei stared at his husband in awe and watched his every movement from the way his mouth hung open to the way his body rose and fell. Nagisa as so beautiful like this, so wonderful. Nagisa bent down to Rei's lips and captured them in a kiss. Rei was eager to return the favor, wrapping his arms around his new husband and gently slipping in his tongue. Their tongues danced in unison, neither of them trying to dominate the other. Rei rolled over so that he was on top of Nagisa and began to thrust into him. Nagisa broke the kiss with a loud moan and arched his back.

As he thrust into Nagisa, Rei dipped down to Nagisa's neck and began to kiss the flesh and lick it, leaving little hickeys to show that Nagisa was his. No one else but him was allowed to see his blond beauty like this. No one else but him was allowed to touch his Nagisa like this. No one but Rei. Nagisa managed to find one of Rei's hands and intertwined it with his and kissed the back of it. Rei smiled and thrust a little faster. Nagisa moaned his husband's name louder and gripped the pillow behind his head with his free hand.

"Rei-chan~! You're so deep! It feels so good!"

"So beautiful, all mine!" Rei moaned as he thrust faster, feeling his climax approaching. He used his other hand to reach between them and pump Nagisa's cock. Nagisa gasped and moaned as he got close. He wasn't going to last this long, he knew that well. After a few more pumps, Nagisa finally came with Rei's name on his lips. Nagisa panted as he looked up at Rei with his pink eyes filled to the brim with lust. Rei moaned louder when he felt himself getting closer. Nagisa smirked and brought Rei's head down and put his lips next to his ear.

"You're so deep inside of me, Rei-chan. Do you like fucking me as hard as you are? Squishing around inside of me and filling me up so well? Mm~ I'm gonna feel you for the rest of the week." Rei bit his lip with a growl. He was weak to Nagisa's dirty talk since it always managed to set him over the edge. Rei pounded into Nagisa at a faster, more brutal pace. Nagisa only laughed tauntingly. "Come on, Rei-chan~ I know you can do better than that~ I want you to cum inside of me. Fill me up with your seed." Rei obeyed Nagisa's words and thrust until he came. Rei panted and looked at Nagisa, truly looked at him.

His vibrant pink eyes were clouded with lust and love, his lips were slightly swollen from their many kisses, and his face was red. In short, Nagisa was beautiful. Rei smiled and gently placed his lips against Nagisa's. Nagisa returned the kiss as he wrapped his arms around Rei's neck. Rei gently pulled out and stifled a chuckle when Nagisa whimpered at the sudden loss. Never disconnecting from his lover's lips, Rei turned over to the side with Nagisa in his arms. When the need for air became apparent, the two broke apart and gazed at each other lovingly.

"You were great, Rei-chan. I can't remember the last time I was this exhausted after sex."

"It has been a while since we last did this. Hey, Nagisa-kun, now that we're married, do you feel different?"

Nagisa shook his head. "I feel about the same. To be honest with you, Rei-chan, from the moment we moved in together, it always felt as if we were married."

"Even when we were fighting?"

"Even when we were fighting. Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"

"I just felt a little different, as if the missing piece to the puzzle that is my life has been found and I'm complete."

"Always so poetic. The baby's gonna fall in love your voice." Rei smiled and began to think about the baby. He put his hand on Nagisa's stomach and gently rubbed it. In seven months he would be responsible for someone who would know him as their father. But what about when the baby learns that Rei isn't their biological father? What then? Would he just be resented as the step-dad trying to replace the biological father or would he still be treated with the same respect? Nagisa caught the deep thought that showed in Rei's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Thinking about the baby and how they'll view me as their father. Do you even want their biological father in their life?"

"I don't have any way to contact him and if I did, I have to tell him. He has a right to know about his child and he needs to be involved in this baby's life. I refuse to hide something like this from my child." Rei nodded and Nagisa gently caressed his husband's cheek. "Rei-chan, biological or not, you'll always be this baby's father." Rei smiled and gently pecked Nagisa's lips.

"I love you very much, Nagisa-kun."

Nagisa chuckled. "I love you, too, Rei-chan. I'm tired. Good night." Nagisa snuggled close to Rei and began to fall asleep. Rei kissed his husband's forehead and wrapped his arms around him. He studied Nagisa's features as he slept. Nagisa looked so happy, so content with life. Rei smiled as he thought of their future together. He thought about what parenthood and the married life will hold for the two of them. Things would be hard at times, sure, but they'd always have each other through it all. Rei put his glasses on the bedside table and closed his eyes as he fell asleep with his husband in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, Nagisa and Rei are married! Does this mean anything for Sousuke and Makoto? Find out in the next chapter!


	25. I Think I Wanna Marry You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke proposes to Makoto with Shiori's help

Late at night was when Sousuke started to think about it. He and Makoto had been cuddling when Makoto ended up falling asleep. Sousuke didn't fall asleep. He simply stared at his boyfriend in deep thought. All Sousuke could think about was their future together. Where do they go from here? They're together, they have a child, they have a home together. The only logical step was to get married but Sousuke was still debating on whether or not he was ready for such a commitment. He wanted to grow old with Makoto, sure, but was he truly ready for the domestic life?

Sousuke could imagine it now. He'd come home every night bathed in the scent of sweat and gunpowder. The moment he'd open the door, Shiori would come running towards him, giving him a big hug whilst prattling on about her day. He'd smile at her and go to the kitchen with her in tow. They'd walk in to see Makoto setting the table and get everything ready for dinner. He'd look up at Sousuke and smile at him as he abandoned the table to give his favorite cop a hug then the three of them would sit down to a nice meal. That would be his routine every single night. Sousuke wrapped his arms tighter around Makoto and looked at him.

His face was so relaxed, like there was no care in the world. Sousuke gently moved Makoto's hair out of his face and smiled. He wanted nights like these forever. He wanted to hold Makoto in his arms for the rest of his life and he wanted to grow old with him. Sousuke ran his hands through Makoto's hair and thought about what a life together would entail. Sure, there would be hard times, but they'd get through them together. He snuggled close to his boyfriend and intertwined their fingers and legs. His mind was made up; he will propose to Makoto but he can't do it alone. He's gonna need some help from a very reliable source.

* * *

"Shiori, can I talk to you for a second?" Shiori looked up from her latest drawing to see her father standing in the doorway looking as if he were nervous about something. She tilted her head in a curious motion and put down her paint brush. Sousuke sat down on his daughter's bed and pat a space next to him. Shiori complied with the silent command and sat down on her bed next to ehr father. She looked up at him with her green eyes filled with curiosity.

"What did you wanna talk about, Papa?"

"I'm planning a little surprise for Mama and I need your help."

"What kind of surprise?" Sousuke pulled something out of the pocket of his pants. It was a velvet box. Shiori looked form the box to her father with confusion. Sousuke opened the box to reveal a silver band with a green gem cut into the shape of a heart. Shiori stared at the beautiful ring in awe as it clicked in her head. Papa was planning to propose to Mama! She looked up at her father with a beaming smile on her face.

"You're gonna marry Mama?"

Sousuke nodded. "I do but first I need to propose to your mother in a sweet and romantic way and that's where you come in. Has Mama ever said anything about how he'd like to be proposed to?"

"No, not really, but Mama does like sweet things! Maybe you could make a cake and hide it in there."

"I would but then Mama would probably eat the slice with the ring in it. Since Mama doesn't have a preference on how he'd like to be proposed to, I was thinking of having you make a painting of me, the ring, and Mama with a caption at the top saying 'Mama, will you marry Papa?'. I'd leave it where Mama would be able to see it. What do you think?" Shiori smiled and nodded vigorously. She loved that idea very much!

"I love it! Why are you doing this now?"

"Seeing Uncle Nagi and Rei-chan get married lit a fire in me. It made me realize that Mama won't wait around forever. Plus Jii-chan and Baa-chan have been hounding me to marry Mama for a while now and I kind of want them to shut up about it." Shiori laughed at the last part.

"I understand, Papa."

"Perfect. How long should I expect to wait for the painting to be finish?"

"If Mama doesn't give me too many chores, it could be done in a couple days, maybe even a week." Sousuke nodded. A week was just enough time for him to get everything together and plan out the evening.

"Sounds perfect, my little artist. Thank you."

"You're welcome, now what am I getting out of it?" Shiori said in a serious tone that was unusual for a six-year-old.

"Huh?"

"I was over at Baa-chan and Jii-chan's house and Jii-chan said that if someone asks me to paint something for them I should be paid for it. What are you gonna give me?"

"I'll give you some candy bars for your work."

"What kind?"

"Strawberry Kit Kats." Shiori's eyes lit up at the thought of Strawberry Kit Kats. Like her mother, she had a sweet tooth and would do almost anything for anything sweet. Her favorite treat was Strawberry Kit Kat bars and she hardly ever got them, mainly because if she got too many she would be prone to eating them for meals and she nearly rot her teeth out the last time she did that, not to mention she got sick for a week. Even to get just one sent Shiori over the moon with joy.

"Deal!" Shiori beamed as she held out her hand for her father to shake. Sousuke shook his daughter's hand and gave her the box with the ring.

"You're gonna need this for photo reference. Be careful not to lose it and keep it hidden from Mama. Understand?" Shiori took the velvet box and nodded.

"Understood! I'll be very careful with it." Sousuke pet his daughter's head and left the room to let the artist work her magic in peace. He couldn't wait to see Makoto's face when he proposed.

* * *

~A Week Later~

* * *

Makoto wiped his brow as he finished putting the clean laundry away. He'd spent all day cleaning up the house with no help since Sousuke was sick in bed with a cold, and Sousuke's parents came and took Shiori to their house for the night. While Makoto loved that Shiori was spending time with her other grandparents, it would be nice to have her at home helping him with cleaning the house. Oh well, at least the munchkin was spending some time with her paternal grandpatents. After he put the last of Shiori's clothes away and decided to unwind with some television time until it came time for him to make dinner.

He walked downstairs to the living room only to find that it had looked like a tornado had passed through there! He internally groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He told Shiori to clean up the mess before she left with her grandparents. Someone is definitely not getting any desert for the week. Makoto sighed as he began to put away the toys Shiori had left out and put the pillows back on the couch. As much as he loved to spoil his daughter, lines had to be drawn somewhere. After he put the toys away, he returned to the living room to fix the couch cushions.

Upon fixing the couch, he spotted something out of the ordinary. He put down the cushion in his hands and reached for what he saw. He picked up what looked like one of Shiori's canvases. Maybe she was finishing up one of her paintings and left it down here and forgot about it. He looked at the painting and smiled at it. The painting had a white background and there were two stick figures; one that looked like Sousuke and one that looked like himself. There was a ring separating the two stick figures and on top was a caption that said 'Mama, will you marry Papa?'. It was so cute! He left the living room with the painting in hand to rush up the steps to their bedroom to show Sousuke.

"Hey, I was cleaning the living room and I-" Makoto started but stopped when he saw the bedroom he and Sousuke shared.

The bed was covered in rose petals and the room was dark, except for the candles that were lit and illuminating the room with a soft glow. The thing that really caught Makoto's eye was Sousuke who was on one knee and holding a black box with the very ring depicted in the painting. Tears of happiness welled up in his eyes as he looked at the painting and at his boyfriend. This was it. This was really happening. He walked closer to his boyfriend and smiled down at him.

"What's going on?"

Sousuke chuckled. "I wanted to do this right. Makoto, when I look at you, I see the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. In high school I was a fool to let you go so soon but now that I'm older, I've learned better than to let go of an angel like you. We've been through so much and I don't know where I'd be right now if I didn't have you by my side. There are so many other things I would say but I don't wanna drag this out too long so I'll cut to the chase. Makoto, my shining sun, will you marry me?" By the end of his speech, Sousuke had shed a few tears. Makoto was laughing through his tears as he nodded and held out his left hand.

"Yes! Of course I'll marry you!"

Sousuke took the ring out of the box and slid it onto Makoto's finger. Makoto looked at the ring on his left ring finger and smiled at it. Finally. He was engaged! Sousuke stood up and wrapped his arms around Makoto's waist. Makoto wrapped his arms around Sousuke's neck and kissed him deeply. Sousuke smiled in the kiss and led them both to the bed. Sousuke was laying down on his back and Makoto was on top of him. They broke the kiss when the need for air grew and they stared at each other with lust and love in their eyes. Sousuke smirked up at his fiancee.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If it involves hot kinky sex, then, yes, we are thinking the same thing."

Makoto straddled Sousuke's thighs and ground himself against Sousuke's cock, causing both of them to moan at the friction. Makoto kept up his actions until they were both hard. Sousuke sat up and began to kiss Makoto's neck, leaving hickeys in his wake. Makoto moaned and tilted his head to give Sousuke more access to his flesh. Sousuke took advantage of the flesh given to him and left more marks on Makoto to let every one know that Makoto was off limits. Makoto moaned and bit his lip.

"Fuck, Sousuke. It's getting hot." Sousuke growled as he ripped Makoto's shirt off, exposing his fiancee's firm upper body. Sousuke pulled away from Makoto's neck and marveled at his lover's upper body. Makoto's nipples were rosy and pointed forwards. His abs were still in the form of the six-pack he remembered. There were parts that were more softened but Makoto did have a child, he did have to take care of the child's needs before his own. Nevertheless, Makoto still looked beautiful. Makoto blushed and looked away, embarrassed.

"Don't stare too long."

"I can't help it. You're so beautiful. I love you so much." Sousuke lovingly whispered as he kissed Makoto's chest. Makoto put his hand on the back of Sousuke's hand as he guided him towards one of his nipples. Sousuke got the message and clamped his mouth around Makoto's right nipple and sucked on it. Makoto moaned and used his free hand to play with his other nipple. Sousuke tore himself from Makoto's nipple and kissed his chest. He held Makoto close as he rolled the two of them over to where Makoto was on his back and Sousuke was hovering over him.

Sousuke kissed down Makoto's torso until he reached Makoto's pants. He undid Makoto's pants and pulled them off of his fiancee's legs. He watched as Makoto's cock sprang free from its denim confines. Makoto hissed at the cold air against his cock. Sousuke smirked as he spread Makoto's legs and kissed his inner thighs teasingly. Every time he got close to Makoto's cock he would begin to nibble on a free space of flesh on his lover's inner thighs. Sousuke loved the frustrated moan Makoto gave when he went to another part of his thigh.

"Sousuke, please! Don't tease me!"

"No can do, Makoto. I don't want you to cum yet~" Sousuke cooed as he got out a cock ring and placed it on the base of Makoto's weeping member. Makoto groaned when he felt the cold metal on his manhood. He gave Sousuke his best puppy eyes, begging him to take it off. Sousuke caught the look and gave him an innocent look. "Patience my lovely Tachibaby~ I'll take it off soon. Now get on your hands and knees with your ass facing me." Sousuke commanded in a domineering tone of voice.

Makoto obeyed Sousuke's command and got on his hands and knees and pointed his ass towards Sousuke. The taller man looked at his fiancee's ass and ran his hands over it. He softly kissed the flesh before he spread the cheeks and licked Makoto's entrance. Makoto moaned and pushed his ass against Sousuke's tongue, wanting more. Sousuke continued to eat out his lover as he unzipped himself and began to stroke his own cock. Makoto moaned louder as he began to drool. Sousuke began to thrust his tongue in and out of Makoto's ass. He smirked when he felt his fiancee begin to tremble.

Sousuke continued to lick stripes along Makoto's hole as his fiancee moaned his name. Sousuke's smirk widened into a wicked grin when he got an idea. He removed his mouth which caused Makoto to whimper at the loss. Sousuke chuckled as he grabbed the lube off the bedside table and covered his fingers in it. Once his fingers were properly lubricated, he inserted one into his lover's waiting ass. Makoto moaned when he felt Sousuke's index finger going inside of him. Makoto's eyes fluttered closed when he felt a second finger go inside.

As Sousuke worked his fingers in and out of Makoto, the brunette could not hod himself up any more and hung his head down on the mattress. Makoto began to fuck himself on Sousuke's fingers in an attempt to make them go deeper inside of him. Sousuke used his free hand to hold Makoto's hips in place as he added his tongue. Makoto gasped in surprise and began to drool again. Makoto moaned and began to touch his neglected cock. He may not be abe to cum but he at least wanted to touch himself. When Sousuke noticed this, he growled and spanked Makoto's ass.

"No touching yourself unless I say you can or else I'm gonna spank you." Sousuke commanded in an authoritative tone of voice. Makoto groaned as he removed his hand. Sousuke resumed his actions and, to add peasure, moaned as he stuck his tongue inside his fiancee. Makoto moaned louder and began to sob with pleasure. When Sousuke decided that Makoto had enough, he stopped his movements and took his clothes off.

Once he was naked, he got back up on their bed and sat cross-legged. Makoto crawled over to his fiancee and kissed the tip of his lover's cock before he took it into his mouth. Sousuke moaned and put his hand on Makoto's head in an effort to get him to take more. Makoto slightly gagged but got used to it soon as he began to deep-throat Sousuke's cock. Sousuke moaned and resisted the urge to begin fucking his fiancee's mouth. Makoto started off slow, taking his time, then went faster and grabbing Sousuke's balls in the process. Sousuke bit his lips as he watched his lovely Makoto suck his dick.

"Fuck, baby, keep sucking my cock just like that..." Sousuke whispered as he tangled his hand in Makoto's hair.

As Makoto continued to suck his fiancee, Sousuke felt his climax slowly approaching. Makoto looked up into Sousuke's eyes with his own emerald orbs screaming innocence when there was nothing to be innocent about. Makoto pulled away from Sousuke's cock and licked it like it was a lollipop. Sousuke threw his head back in pleasure as he involuntarily thrust his hips upwards. Makoto took the thick length back into his mouth and resumed sucking it with ease. Sousuke was about to cum when Makoto pulled away. He groaned and looked at his fiancee who had a smirk on his face.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not yet, big boy~ I want it inside of me when you cum."

Sousuke smirked. "I take it you want me to go in dry tonight?"

"I do~" Makoto purred.

"What if you end up pregnant?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Makoto whispered as he straddled Sousuke's lap and hovered over Sousuke's cock. Sousuke put his hands on Makoto's hips and lowered him. Makoto hissed as he felt Sousuke penetrate him. He'd never done it dry before, he'd always been properly prepared for this part. Sousuke kissed Makoto as he guided him onto his cock to distract him from the pain. Makoto moaned in pain and pleasure once he was fully seated on his fiancee's cock. Sousuke waited until Makoto adjusted to move.

"Ready, Makoto?"

"Yes."

Sousuke started out slow, only thrusting his hips upwards slowly. Makoto moaned as he began to rock himself slowly in unison with his fiancee's thrusts. It felt so good to him. Makoto wrapped his arms around Sousuke and buried his face in the crook of Sousuke's neck as his fiancee began to go faster. Sousuke put is hands on Makoto's ass and began to lift him up and down his cock. Makoto moaned louder and scratched at Sousuke's back. Sousuke moaned at the scratches and fucked Makoto harder in his lap as he began to kiss Makoto's neck.

"So fucking tight..." Sousuke mumbled against the skin. Makoto began to bounce himself on Sousuke's cock with reckless abandon causing Sousuke to moan as he thrust faster.

"Fuck, Sousuke! Fuck me harder!"

Sousuke growled with lust as he changed their position. He leaned forwards on their bed enough so that Makoto was lying on the bed and began to thrust like a wild animal. Makoto screamed in pleasure as he felt Sousuke's cock slam into is prostate over and over again. Sousuke stopped for a moment to untangle Makoto's legs from his waist to spread them out further. Makoto's nails dug into Sousuke's back, leaving blood in their wake as his prostate got hit at a brutal pace. He wanted to cum so bad but this damn cock ring Sousuke put on him was preventing him from doing so. Sousuke captured Makoto's lips in a deep kiss.

Their tongues danced in unison as Sousuke quickly took control of the kiss. Sousuke's tongue explored every inch of Makoto's mouth. Every tooth, every nook and cranny, before massaging the tongue and sucking on it like it was a piece of candy. Sousuke felt the moan Makoto released when his hand found its way to his neglected cock and began to stroke it. Sousuke smirked in the kiss as he continued to stroke his lover's bound cock. Sousuke was getting close and he knew it. The familiar coil in his stomach was forming and he knew Makoto was ready to release too. He took off the cock ring and stroked his lover's cock faster.

"Sousuke!" Makoto moaned as he broke away from the kiss. "I'm gonna cum!"

"Together. Let's cum together, I'm close too." Makoto nodded as Sousuke thrust into him at a faster pace.

Makoto scratched up Sousuke's back a little more as he felt his release coming. Sousuke stroked him faster and Makoto couldn't take it anymore. He came with Sousuke's name on his lips. Sousuke came inside of Makoto soon after and slowed down his thrusts as he rode out his orgasm. Makoto was shaking from all the pleasure. His skin was hot to the touch and he was mumbling incoherently. Once Sousuke was completely flaccid, he pulled out of Makoto and carried him to the bathroom, bridal style.

The bathtub was filled with cold water since Sousuke had the feeling things would get this intense. He carried Makoto to the tub and gently put him in. Makoto leaned against the back of the tub, still shaking and mumbling things Sousuke could not quite understand. Sousuke wet a washcloth and folded it. He placed it on Makoto's sweat-drenched forehead in an effort to cool him down a little more. Makoto started to calm down a little but he was still trembling and mumbling incoherent things. He held his arms out towards Sousuke and gestured for him to join him in the cold bath.

Sousuke complied with his lover's orders and got into the bath behind Makoto. Sousuke hissed as his back came into contact with the cold tile wall. Makoto did a number on his back when they were having sex. Makoto leaned up against Sousuke's chest and nuzzled against the warmth. Sousuke wrapped his arms around Makoto and leaned forwards to take a sniff of his other's hair. Smelled of pineapple scented shampoo and sweat. After some time, Makoto finally calmed down and smiled up at Sousuke.

"That was wonderful! Did you plan all of this?" Sousuke kissed his other's forehead and smiled.

"The proposal and setting things up for sex, yes. The way the sex went down, no. I never knew how hard I could go."

Makoto laughed. "You went in so hard! I think I might be limping for a week. Not to mention I can still feel you."

"Damn, sorry about that." Sousuke blushed.

"Don't worry about it. I like the feeling of having you inside of me. Did I scratch up your back too much?"

"Just hurts when something cold gets on it is all. It'll be fine."

"You sure? I can check it out for you."

"Are you even up for that? You were kind of worrying me there." Makoto took the washcloth off his forehead and straddled Sousuke's lap.

"I just overheated. I'll be fine. Now let's get out of here, this water is cold as hell." Makoto said as he got out of the tub and grabbed their first aid kit.

Sousuke got out of the tub and went to their bedroom and laid stomach down on the bed. Makoto blew out the candles and turned the lights on to get a better view of Sousuke's back. He gasped as he surveyed the damage he had done to his lover's back. On his fiancee's back were scratches that were bleeding. Makoto took his phone and opened it to take a picture of Sousuke's back. Sousuke tilted his head to look at Makoto who showed him the picture on his phone. Sousuke winced when he saw the state of his back.

"Fuck."

"I'll take care of it, just relax."

Makoto put his phone on the bedside table and opened the first aid kit. He took out the cotton balls and rubbing alcohol. He gently dabbed the alcohol-drenched piece of cotton on his fiancee's back. Sousuke hissed in pain as he felt the alcohol seeping into his cuts. Makoto smiled apologetically as he continued to use the alcohol until the cuts were cleaned up. Makoto took the bandages from the kit and placed them on the cuts. He closed the kit and put it back in the bathroom then drained the bath tub. Makoto went back into the bedroom and crawled in next to Sousuke after turning the lights off.

Sousuke turned to his side and wrapped an arm around Makoto and intertwined his other hand with Makoto's. He looked at Makoto with love showing in his eyes. The moonlight shined on Makoto's face just the right way that made him look stunning. They cuddled with each other and occasionally sighed with content. Words could not express how the couple felt at the moment. They were engaged! They were gonna get married! What more was there to say? Sousuke looked at the ring on his love's finger and kissed it. In a matter of months they would be married. Makoto smiled at Sousuke and looked at the engagement ring.

"I can't believe that we're getting married! I'm so happy."

"Me too. I love you so much, Makoto. I can't wait to start a new life with you."

"Promise me we'll stay together forever."

"We will. I'm forever devoted to you." Sousuke kissed Makoto. The brunette blushed and yawned as he snuggled in his lover's warmth. Soususke unconsciously hummed a tune as he ran his fingers through Makoto's hair. Eventually, the two men fell asleep tangled in each other's arms with thoughts of the future they'll share together dominating their dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for rushing the beginning of the chapter, for the life of me I did not know how to begin this chapter. But I did serve the main purpose of the chapter in the end, right? Oh well, next up is the last chapter!


	26. One Month Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue of the story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are at the end of Picking Up The Pieces! It's been a good year writing this thing! Started writing this emotional roller coaster at age 15, ending it at age 17. Kind of hard to believe but here we are! As always, enjoy this chapter!

A month later, Sousuke and Makoto were as happy as they could be. After Sousuke had proposed, they had their wedding set in July. Makoto wanted a summer wedding outdoors and July was a fine month to do it. Currently, the family was walking through the park. Shiori was walking in between her parents, each of them holding a hand. As one would imagine, the young parents occasionally lifted Shiori up into the air and let her swing a little. Shiori giggled every time since she felt like she was flying a little. Ken, who's leash was being held by Makoto, stood up on his hind legs like he was begging since it looked like his human was floating away.

The little family walked through the park and eventually made their way to the playground. There weren't many kids on the playground, seeing as it's not too warm outside yet. Shiori ran to it while Sousuke and Makoto sat down on the bench and watched their daughter. She looked so happy, like there was no care or worry in the world. Shiori was starting first grade in April so days like these had to be treasured before she was thrust into the unforgiving jaws of reality. Since Shiori had missed a lot of time in kindergarten, the school board decided to take pity on her by not holding the time she was missing against her, as well as letting her finish out kindergarten by homeschooling online. Both Makoto and Sousuke were grateful since it gave Shiori some time at home before she was ready to socialize with children here age again.

"Mama! Come push me!" Shiori called to her mother. She had made her way to the swing set and tried to push herself. Makoto gave Ken's leash to Sousuke and walked over to Shiori. He walked to the swing Shiori was sitting in and went behind her and began to push her.

"You know, Shi-chan, you're getting to be a big girl now. Sooner or later you've gotta start pushing yourself."

"But it's fun having you push me, Mama!" Makoto chuckled. Even he had to admit it was fun pushing his child on the swings. Shiori laughed as she went higher and higher on the swing.

Sousuke watched his daughter and fiancee with a fond smile on his face. He loved it when they got to spend time together. It made him forget that he had any other responsibilities, that the word just melted around them. He took out his phone and took a picture of Makoto and Shiori. He smiled at the picture. Makoto was behind Shiori with his arms stretched since he had just pushed her on the swing. Shiori had a big smile on her face as she went up in the air. Sousuke put his phone away and continued to watch them play on the swings. Soon Shiori got bored on the swings and had Makoto stop her so she could do something else. Makoto went back to where Sousuke was sitting and let out a content sigh as he watched Shiori play on the jungle gym.

"I love days like these where I can relax and not have to worry about a thing."

"I do, too. As sappy as it sounds, I love the days when i can spend time with you and Shiori." Makoto laughed and looked at the ring on his finger.

It has been a month since he and Sousuke got engaged and Makoto still couldn't believe that they were going to get married soon. It all seemed so surreal, as if it were a dream. Every morning he woke up next to Sousuke he had to pinch himself to make sure that this wasn't a dream. Makoto looked up at the sky and stared at it. It was grey wit a small touch of blue. It wasn't quite winter but it wasn't yet spring. He loved this weather since he loved to see the cherry tree buds starting to bloom.

Makoto's nose crinkled when he felt something wet land on his nose. He wiped his nose but then more drops fell on him. Soon it started to pour. Makoto got up and ran to get Shiori while Sousuke ran to the car with Ken. Makoto picked up Shiori and covered her with his jacket so she would not get too wet from the rain. He ran out the park and to the car where Sousuke was waiting. He and Shiori got in the car and Sousuke drove off to their home. When they got home it was pouring down harder and they practically had to run into the house. They were all shivering and wet from the rain when they got inside. Ken shook all the water off his body while the family shed themselves of their coats and shoes.

"Mama, I'm cold." Shiori shivered.

"I know, honey, I am too. Go to your room and change into something dry. I'll make some hot chocolate while Papa starts the fireplace." Shiori nodded and went upstairs to her room. Makoto and Sousuke went to their room and changed into their pajamas. Makoto moaned as he began to feel dizzy. He grabbed his head and sat down on the bed. Sousuke looked at his fiancee with worry on his face. He knelt in front of Makoto and put his hands on Makoto's thighs.

Makoto has been getting sick like this for the past couple weeks now. He was very worried about his fiancee. It started a couple weeks ago when Makoto jumped out of bed and started throwing up every morning. It would subside later but then whatever Makoto ate after that, he ended up throwing it up. Not to mention the fucking weird foods he's been eating lately. Sousuke tried getting Makoto to go to a doctor and get checked out but Makoto always insisted that he was fine. Sousuke backed off but that still didn't stop him from worrying.

"Are you alright, Makoto?"

"Yea. I just had a dizzy spell."

"Do you want to stay up here?"

"No, no. I just need a few minutes. Go downstairs without me." Sousuke nodded and pressed a gentle kiss on his fiancee's lips before he stood up and left their room. He went downstairs to the living room to see Shiori dressed in her Pikachu kigurumi playing with Ken. Sousuke started up the fireplace then went to the kitchen and started to make some hot chocolate. As he made the hot chocolate, footsteps approached the kitchen. He turned around to see Makoto and smiled at him.

"Feeling better?"

"Yea. You got the hot chocolate?"

"Making it right now. Kind of sucks that it rained, though." Makoto looked outside and saw the rain drops tap rapidly against the kitchen window. He smiled a little as he got an idea.

"Well, the fun doesn't have to stop."

Sousuke raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I'm saying we could set up a pillow fort in the living room and we could curl up together and watch some movies. Sound like a plan?"

"Sure. Can you go set up the pillow fort?" Makoto nodded and left the kitchen.

After a short while, Sousuke finished the hot chocolate. He took out three mugs and some marshmallows and whipped cream and put them on a tray. He filled up the mugs with the hot chocolate and took the tray out to the living room where Makoto was finishing up the pillow fort and Mulan was in the DVD player and ready to play. Sousuke put the tray down on the kotatsu. Sousuke grabbed the remote and hit the play button. Sousuke got in the fort with his family as the movie started.

* * *

A little while later, Sousuke woke up in the living room still inside the pillow fort. He looked at the TV and saw that the menu for Inside Out was playing. Shiori was asleep on his chest and Ken was sleeping on the pillow next to him. The only one who was missing was Makoto. A frown came on Sousuke's face as he thought of Makoto sick in bed. Carefully, he sat up and laid Shiori on the pillows then put a blanket over her. before he could get out of the fort, a little hand grabbed his shirt.

"Papa?" Sousuke turned around to see his sleepy daughter sitting up and rubbing her eyes. He smiled at her and ruffled her hair a little.

"Hey, Pikachu. Tired?"

Shiori nodded with a yawn. "Mm-hmm, where's Mama?"

"I'm about to go look for Mama right now. Just go back to sleep, honey. I'll wake you up soon." Shiori nodded again as she laid back down in the pillows and wrapped herself up in a cocoon. Sousuke chuckled as he left the fort to look for Makoto.

He went upstairs first to check if he was in bed. Makoto was sick earlier so he wouldn't be surprised if he chose to come up here. Sousuke approached their bedroom and knocked on it a little before he entered. When he went inside, Makoto's back was turned towards him. His shoulders were hunched and his head was held low as his arms were slightly lifted as if he were holding something. Sousuke walked further into the room and cleared his throat. Makoto jumped ten feet in the air and turned around, hiding whatever he was looking at behind his back.

"Hey, Sousuke. What are you doing up here?"

"I woke up with a kid on my chest in the pillow fort and you were missing. Is everything okay?"

"Um, yea. I was j-just feeling a little sick so I came up here." Makoto stammered. Sousuke tried to look behind his fiancee and put a hand on his hip.

"What's behind your back?"

"W-what? I don't have anything behind my back."

"You do! You're hiding something behind your back. What is it, Makoto?" Makoto didn't say anything. Sousuke frowned at Makoto. "Baby, please talk to me. You're scaring me."  Makoto let out a shaky breath as he slowly took out a pregnancy test from behind his back. Sousuke looked at the result on the little stick of plastic and back at Makoto.

"What does it mean, Makoto?"

"...I'm pregnant."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the way the story ends! I know it was short but it's the end! Makoto's pregnant but whatever shall happen next? Good thing there's gonna be a sequel titled Skyscraper that will be coming out soon! I love y'all and I'll see ya in chapter 1 of Skyscraper! For the last time, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and I'll see you in Skyscraper! Bye~ :D

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will be... whenever I get done with the next chapter


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